Black Mountain Grove

Black Mountain Grove A large sequoia grove containing more than 500 large trees, on the slopes of Black Mountain between the Middle and South Forks of Tule River. Partly in the Tule River Indian Reservation.

A large grove partly on Giant Sequoia National Monument, Tule River Indian Reservation and in private ownership. This grove offers old and young growth sequoias. The main access to this grove is by road or hiking across country. You can visit this grove in the summer when the roads are open. The grove is estimated at about 3,310 acres with sequoias sprawling across the divide forming the Middle and South Forks of the Tule River. There are many beautiful and unique sequoias to see in this grove. Black Mountain Beauty is the largest known sequoia in the grove at 32,224 cubic feet in volume and followed in size by Patriarch II and Blasted Mammoth. Snaggle-Top has a distinctive shape worth seeing. The Twisted Harlequin has pink and red bark twisting up most of its height, and the Flower Pot Tree has a Pacific dogwood growing out of its top! Some of the most well known sequoias in Black Mountain Grove are the Three Sisters. Each season brings out different aspects of their beauty.

Noteworthy trees

Some of the trees found in the grove that are worthy of special note are:

* Black Mountain Beauty: Mearsured in 1986 by wendell flint and mike law, this is thought to be the largest tree in the grove at 32,224 cubic feet.
* Blasted Mammoth: The remains of what might have once been the largest tree in the grove, Although the tree is still alive it is broken off about 90 feet up, it has a ground perimeter of 97 feet and a dbh of 22 feet.
* Three Sisters: Three closely spaces giant sequoias on top of a hill.
* Patriarch II: Large, fairly short tree.

How to Get There

You can reach Black Mountain Grove from the San Joaquin Valley by taking State Highway 190 east through the community of Springville. Continue east on highway 190 until you reach Forest Road 21S94 (Coy Flat Road). This road is the only public access to the Tule River Indian Reservation section of the grove. If you plan to visit this portion of the grove, make sure you get permission first. If you want to explore more of the grove you need to take Forest Road 21S12 west from Coy Flat Road. This dirt road (FR21S12) is a 7 mile slow drive through the western portion of the grove.

References

*cite web | url = http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/sequoia/recreation/giant_sequoia_groves.html#alder_creek
title = USDA Forest Service - Sequoia National Forest | accessdate = 2008-04-29