Sequoia National Forest is located in the southern Sierra Nevada mountains of California. The U.S. National Forest is named for the majestic Giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) trees which populate 38 distinct groves within the boundaries of the forest. The Giant Sequoia National Monument is located in the national forest. Other notable features include glacier-carved landscapes and impressive granite monoliths. The Needles are a series of granite spires atop a narrow ridge above the Kern River. Forest headquarters are located in Porterville, California. There are local ranger district offices in Dunlap, Kernville, Lake Isabella, and Springville.

Geography

The Sequoia National Forest covers 1,193,315 acre, and ranges in elevation from 1000 ft in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada to over 12000 ft. Its giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) groves are part of its 196000 acre of old growth forests. Other tree species include: The National Forest contains over 2500 mi of road and 850 mi of trails, and hosts a number of camping and recreational facilities. The forest is adjacent to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.

Wilderness areas

There are six wilderness areas within Sequoia NF that are part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. Some of these extend into neighboring National Forests, as indicated. Two of them also extend into land that is managed by the Bureau of Land Management.

Giant Sequoia National Monument

On April 15, 2000, President Bill Clinton proclaimed 328000 acre of the Sequoia National Forest as the Giant Sequoia National Monument by Presidential Proclamation 7295, published in the Federal Register, Tuesday, April 25, 2000, Vol. 65, No. 80. The monument is in two sections. The northern section surrounds General Grant Grove and other parts of Kings Canyon National Park and is administered by the Hume Lake Ranger District. The southern section is directly south of Sequoia National Park and is administered by the Western Divide Ranger District, surrounding the eastern half of the Tule River Indian Reservation.

The Needles

The Needles are a series of granite spires atop a narrow ridge above the Kern River.(36.1214°N, -118.5044°W)

History

Sequoia National Forest was established on July 1, 1908, from a portion of Sierra Forest Reserve. On March 2, 1909, Theodore Roosevelt added land by Presidential Proclamation. On July 1, 1910 1951191 acres was removed from the forest to create the Kern National Forest. This land was returned to Sequoia National Forest on July 1, 1915.

Fire impact

The Castle Fire in 2020 burned 131087 acres in the forest, with 13,600 acres of giant sequoia groves burned The fire swept through portions of the Dillonwood, Mountain Home, Alder Creek, Freeman Creek, McIntyre, and Wheel Meadow, Belknap, Burro Creek, Silver Creek, Middle Tule, Upper Tule, and Wishon Groves. The fire burned at high intensity in 6,000 acres of sequoia groves: high-intensity fire kills more than 90% of the giant sequoias in the area. The number of mature Sequoia Trees that died overall is estimated at over 7500–10,600 mature trees, or over 10-14% of the species' population. The most intense previous fire in this area is dated to 1297 based on tree ring data. The McIntrye Grove, a short distance to the south from Cedar Slope, was heavily damaged. Near Sequoia Crest, one-third of the Alder Creek Grove of Giant Sequoia was severely damaged. The large Stagg Tree in Alder Creek Grove was not impacted. Other areas experienced "light fire" which is expected to be ecologically beneficial in the long run. The following individual large Giant Sequoias in the forest have been reported to be damaged or destroyed in the Castle Fire: The Windy Fire in 2021 burned over 97528 acres, including a large area in the forest. A number of groves were completely within the fire perimeter, including the Cunningham, Deer Creek, Long Meadow, Packsaddle, Peyrone, Redhill, South Peyrone, and Starvation Creek Groves. Over 3000 acres of groves were within the fire perimeter. Satellite image analysis showed that 50% of that area was burned at moderate or high intensity: over 1,000 giant sequoia were estimated to be destroyed in the forest. Only four mature giant sequoia survived the fire in the Starvation Creek Grove.

Giant sequoia groves

The Sequoia National Forest has 34 giant sequoia groves.

Cannabis cultivation

The forest has been the scene of extensive illegal marijuana cultivation with the involvement of Mexican drug cartels. In July 1986, an F-117 stealth fighter, whose existence was a secret, crashed in Sequoia National Forest in July 1986, killing the pilot and starting a fire. The USAF established restricted airspace and armed guards prohibited entry, including firefighters, and a helicopter gunship circled the site.