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Sequoia National Forest
California
The Sequoia (sequoiadendron giganteum) is the world's largest living thing, a fact that doesn't truly impress until you find yourself smack in the middle of a grove of these giants. Then, in the filtered, greenish light descending from the canopy far overhead and amid the indefinable hush created by thousands of years of accumulated forest duff, you'll feel it at a very gut level. To be in the presence of these trees is to be in the presence of the sacred.
More than half of the world's existing sequoia groves are found in Sequoia National Forest, reason alone to pay a visit. The sequoia, a cousin of the Coast redwood, grows only in California. These majestic trees have reached ages of 3,200 years, diameters of 38 feet, and individual weights of 600 tons.
As well as being a sanctuary to these giants, the Sequoia National Forest is home to the grandaddy of 'em all, the Boole Tree. This giant among Sequoias stands 269 feet head to foot and boasts a base circumference of an astonishing 112 feet. You'll find the Boole growing just north of Converse Mountain on the Hume Lake Road.
But Sequoia National Forest is more than just Sequoias. It's about great fishing, biking, hiking — 3 National Recreation Trails and a section of the Pacific Crest Trail are found here — and High Sierra scenery that inspired naturalist and conservationist John Muir and noted photographer Ansel Adams.
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