Redwood MountainLength 10.0 mi · Climbing 2200 ftCalifornia > Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks > Grant Grove
The Sugar Bowl is an unusual pure sequoia grove on top of Redwood Mountain Background
The Redwood Mountain Grove is the world's largest sequoia grove and, though partially logged, it still has more old growth than any other grove. The part of the grove within Kings Canyon National Park is in nearly pristine condition, and unlike the Giant Forest and Grant Grove, it has a real wilderness feel and relatively few visitors; on a holiday weekend you might encounter another hiker once or twice an hour. The grove isn't as scenic as the Giant Forest, though, because it doesn't have as many really big sequoias and also because it's more densely wooded (mostly with non-sequoia species) and lacks the openness of the Giant Forest. Nonetheless, there are still enough huge trees to make it an interesting place to hike. The grove has two trail loops, the Hart Tree and Sugar Bowl loops, which are equally scenic. The route described here combines the two into a single all-day hike. The best part of the Redwood Mountain trail system is the two-mile stretch of trail that leads along the ridgetop from the parking lot to the Sugar Bowl. This is an excellent option if you just want a short hike and seems to be the most popular hike in the area, although it's still not that crowded. This stretch of trail is especially photogenic in the late afternoon, since the ridgetop gets good light from the setting sun.
Click map to show all trails and roads Hike description
Click here to see the trailhead location in Google Maps. The trail is reached by a bumpy two-mile-long dirt road that makes a pretty scenic drive. Turn left at the first intersection to reach a good-sized dirt parking lot surrounded by sizable sequoias. The trail gets off to a good start, descending through dense woodland studded with large sequoias. An especially impressive collection of big trees grows around the intersection with the Redwood Canyon Trail. The trail passes four huge stumps, one of the few signs of logging in the grove. The redwoods peter out after the Log Cabin (which is really just a hollow log) and the trail climbs through a mundane forest for a while. The forest has the sparse, open canopy typical of the area and gets progressively more open as the trail climbs. After the trail crests a hill, the scenery takes a dramatic turn for the better as the trail starts descending through an exceptionally attractive sequoia grove, with light-colored mammoth trees standing individually or in small scattered groups among the pines. There are quite a few sequoias with strikingly stout, perfectly cylindrical trunks in this area and the understory is very open. The exceptional scenery continues for about a quarter-mile, until the Fallen Tunnel Tree, after which the woods become dense again. There are still big sequoias here, but they're either more scattered, or just harder to see because of all the smaller trees. There's a small waterfall and a creek crossing before the trail reaches a short side trail to the Hart Tree.
The Hart Tree Trail The trees get noticably bigger and the woods get even denser as the trail approaches Redwood Creek. The creek is only a few inches deep, but you may need to get your feet wet to cross. The Hart Tree Trail ends at the Redwood Canyon Trail. (To your left, the Redwood Canyon Trail continues through scenic old-growth forest for another half-mile. After passing the Cave Research Field Station, a small shed to your left, the trail becomes heavily overgrown but can be followed as far as Big Springs, where a stream exits from a large cave system.) Turn right onto the Redwood Canyon Trail, which is very pleasant, climbing gently through a wide valley with the trickling creek nearby. It's noticably busier than the Hart Tree Trail. Turn left onto the Sugar Bowl Trail, which quickly leaves the sequoias behind and climbs, first through oak woods that gradually become more open, then through shady pine groves. The trail has some views across Redwood Canyon, and gets slightly rocky near the ridge. The Sugar Bowl is a small sequoia grove in a shallow depression maybe 100 or 200 yards long. The bowl doesn't have any really big trees, but it has the unusual distinction of being a nearly pure sequoia grove. Normally it's unusual to see more than 5 or 6 sequoias growing together, so this is quite a striking sight, at least for those who've spent time hiking the sequoias. I wasn't that impressed with the Sugar Bowl when I first saw it; five years later, after spending more time in the sequoias, I visited again and was much more impressed.
The Redwood Canyon Trail The bowl doesn't have any groundcover other than a thick covering of pine needles, and it's completely silent except for the buzzing of flies. After the Sugar Bowl, the trail continues to meander through a scenic collection of sequoias for another quarter-mile. This is part of the Sugar Bowl grove; while not quite as striking as the Sugar Bowl itself, it still has an unusual density of sequoias and an open appearance with little groundcover. The trail leaves the sequoias and breaks out into the sunlight, offering views across and down Redwood Canyon. Big Baldy rises on the other side of the canyon, and the craggy peaks of the Great Western Divide can be seen in the distance. The trail reaches a small saddle where a single monster tree grows on a slight rise opposite a collection of smaller sequoias. After another stretch without any sequoias, the trail descends through a relatively mundane section of mid-sized sequoias for its last mile. These sequoias have a rough brown bark that's less attractive than the big sequoias elsewhere in the grove.
View from the Sugar Bowl Trail of Redwood Canyon and Big Baldy Related websites
© 2011 David Baselt |
