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Packsaddle Grove

Coordinates: 35°55′26″N 118°35′34″W / 35.923889°N 118.592778°W / 35.923889; -118.592778
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Packsaddle Grove
Map showing the location of Packsaddle Grove
Map showing the location of Packsaddle Grove
Geography
LocationTulare County, California, United States
Coordinates35°55′26″N 118°35′34″W / 35.923889°N 118.592778°W / 35.923889; -118.592778
Elevation6,760 ft (2,060 m)
Ecology
Dominant tree speciesSequoiadendron giganteum

Packsaddle Grove is a medium-sized sequoia grove on Giant Sequoia National Monument located in the South Creek of the Kern River watershed. It is a fairly wet grove as it straddles Packsaddle Creek and its tributaries.

This compact grove offers a rare look at a truly old growth forest where California condors have lived, and may once again do. The main access to this grove is via dirt roads and cross-country hiking. The terrain is steep, so it's a difficult hike. You can only visit this grove in the summer when the roads are open. The main option for seeing the grove itself is to hike cross-country through it.

This grove was heavily impacted by the Windy Fire in 2021, with over a third of the grove burning at high severity.[1]

Noteworthy trees

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  • Packsaddle Giant, which was killed in the Windy Fire. It had a volume of approx. 32,156 cubic feet (910.6 m3) and the fourth-largest ground perimeter of any sequoia at 107 feet (33 m), making it the largest giant sequoia south of Stagg.[2]
  • Candelabra Tree, with a volume of 26,341 cubic feet (745.9 m3), It has many large limbs that lead to a great crown of foliage.
  • Ghost Tree (sometimes referred to as General Lee Tree, of which however exist several in different groves), a once much larger tree with a heavily broken top, but growing a new top shoot (leader). This tree has a volume of 25,047 cubic feet (709.3 m3). It was heavily damaged in the Windy Fire.[2]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Alonzo, Denise (November 3, 2021). "Sequoia grove damage assessments continue". U.S. Forest Service.
  2. ^ a b "Windy Fire Firsthand Report: Starvation Creek, Deer Creek, Packsaddle, Long Meadow". I Love Trees. Retrieved 2021-12-11.