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Giant sequoia grove in Yosemite National Park, California, United States From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mariposa Grove is a sequoia grove located near Wawona, California, United States, in the southernmost part of Yosemite National Park. It is the largest grove of giant sequoias in the park, with several hundred mature specimens. Two of its trees are among the 30 largest giant sequoias in the world.
Mariposa Grove | |
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Map | |
Mariposa Grove is located at the southern entrance to Yosemite National Park | |
Geography | |
Location | Yosemite National Park, California, United States |
Coordinates | 37°30′50″N 119°35′54″W |
Elevation | 5,740–6,730 ft (1,750–2,050 m) |
Ecology | |
Dominant tree species | Sequoiadendron giganteum |
The Mariposa Grove was first visited by non-native people in 1857 when Galen Clark and Milton Mann found it. They named the grove after Mariposa County, California, where the grove is located.[1] Abraham Lincoln signed an Act of Congress on June 30, 1864, ceding Mariposa Grove and Yosemite Valley to the state of California. Criticism of stewardship over the land led to the state's returning the grove to federal control with the establishment of Yosemite National Park.
The grove closed on July 6, 2015, for a restoration project and reopened on June 15, 2018.[2] The Mariposa Grove Museum is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The grove was threatened by the Washburn Fire in July 2022.[4][5] However, several decades of intentional controlled burns and other forms of fuels reduction enabled fire fighters to save the giant trees, even while the fire itself was impossible to prevent spreading into Yosemite National Park.[3]
Fire is not the only threat to the survival of the giant sequoias. Climate change has already caused the deaths of other conifer trees within and surrounding the grove.[6][7] An ominous sign of sequoia distress was the grove's massive and unprecedented release of seeds in 2022 from the multi-year crop of cones that otherwise would have opened only if the fire penetrated the grove. Seed release was deemed futile because seeds can establish only on ground only where the soil itself is fully exposed.[8] Signs of climate distress in the Mariposa Grove are exceeded by climate-induced deaths of giant sequoias in groves managed by the National Park Service southward in the Sierra Nevada.[9]
The giant sequoia named Grizzly Giant is between probably 1900–2400 years old: the oldest tree in the grove.[10] It has a volume of 34,010 cubic feet (963 m3), and is counted as the 25th largest tree in the world. It is 210 feet (64 m) tall, and has a heavily buttressed base with a basal circumference of 28 m (92 ft) or a diameter of 30 feet (9.1 m); above the buttresses at 2.4 m above ground, the circumference is only 23 m. Grizzly Giant's first branch from the base is 2 m (6 ft) in diameter. Another tree, the Wawona Tree, had a tunnel cut through it in the nineteenth century that was wide enough for horse-drawn carriages and early automobiles to drive through. Weakened by the large opening at its base, the tree fell down in a storm in 1969.
Some of the trees in the grove are:
Mariposa Grove Museum | |
Nearest city | Wawona, California |
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Coordinates | 37°30′50″N 119°35′54″W |
Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
Built | 1930 |
Architect | National Park Service |
Architectural style | Rustic |
NRHP reference No. | 78000381[11] |
Added to NRHP | December 1, 1978 |
The Mariposa Grove Museum is a historic log cabin that opened to the public in 1931.[12] Positioned near the General Grant and General Sheridan trees, the cabin was constructed to replace an earlier structure known as the Galen Clark Cabin which had stood on the same site since the late 19th century. The original cabin, built by Galen Clark in 1858, served as a shelter for visitors and became renowned for its picturesque setting.[13] Due to deterioration, the original cabin was replaced by the current structure, which was designed to echo the rustic style of its predecessor while incorporating modern building techniques for longevity.[14][15]
The museum housed within the cabin features historic photographs and exhibits detailing the history of the Mariposa Grove and its significance.[16] The Mariposa Grove Cabin was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.[11][17]
The Big Trees Lodge, once nestled among giant sequoias in the upper Mariposa Grove, was constructed in 1932 to replace a series of cabins that had collapsed under heavy snow. In 1972, it ceased operations as a guest lodge and later served as a dormitory. Ultimately, the lodge was removed due to concerns about its environmental impact and its prominent, disruptive presence in the natural landscape.[18]
The lodge featured 12 guest rooms (four with private baths), along with a lounge, office, gift shop, dining room, kitchen, and a darkroom for developing tourist photos taken in the grove.[19] While the lodge was initially envisioned for year-round use, it typically operated from June to September due to heavy winter snowfall.
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