Near Fish Camp in Mariposa County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

Enduring Giant

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, June 29, 2014

1. Enduring Giant Marker

Inscription. Standing relatively short at 209 ft. (63.7 m), the Grizzly Giant measures 96 ft. (29 m) in circumference and 28 ft. (8.5 m) in diameter at the base. What do you notice first about this big tree?

Is it the blackened fire scars at the base of the tree?
Estimated at 1,800 years old, think of how many fires this tree has experienced with an average fire frequency of 5-20 years.

Is it the tree's missing top?
Elder sequoias and those with large fire scars often have a dead "snag-top" due to a loss of sapwood and therefore, the inability to move water from roots to crown.

Is it the large limbs?
Look halfway up the tree on the right and you'll see a large branch bent upward to the sky. At nearly 7 ft. (2 m) in diameter, it is larger than the trunk of any other tree around you — except for a sequoia!

This project was paid for by a grant from The Yosemite Fund with generous support from HEDCO Foundation.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Horticulture & Forestry • Parks & Recreational Areas. In addition, it is included in the Historic Trees series list.

Location. 37° 30.183′ N, 119° 36.087′ W. Marker is near Fish Camp, California

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, in Mariposa County. Marker can be reached from Mariposa Grove Road, 2.8 miles east of Wawona Road (State Route 41). Marker and "Grizzly Giant" can be accessed via hike or shuttle from the Mariposa Grove Welcome Plaza in Yosemite National Park. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Fish Camp CA 93623, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 9 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. The Surviving Tunnel Tree (approx. 0.4 miles away); Celebrating the Mariposa Grove (approx. half a mile away); Sustaining the Mariposa Grove (approx. half a mile away); A New Vision for an Ancient Grove (approx. half a mile away); Wawona Hotel (approx. 3.8 miles away); The Art of Thomas Hill (approx. 3.8 miles away); Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad (approx. 4.2 miles away); Jones Store (approx. 8.1 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fish Camp.

Also see . . .
1. Grizzly Giant (Wikipedia). It has a volume of 34,005 cubic feet (962.9 m3), which makes it the 26th largest giant sequoia living today and could be considered the 25th largest depending on how badly Ishi Giant atrophied during the Rough Fire in 2015. (Submitted on November 19, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

2. Sequoia Research. Stephenson, N.L., 2000. Estimated Ages of Some Large Giant Sequoias: General Sherman Keeps Getting Younger. Madroño 47(1):

Marker detail: Giant Sequoia Size Comparison image. Click for full size.

2. Marker detail: Giant Sequoia Size Comparison

A giant sequoia shown here in relation to (from left to right) a 19-story building, a Boeing 747 aircraft, and the Statue of Liberty.

61-67. (Since this article published in 2000, the Grizzly Giant is believed to have moved from No. 27 to No. 25 in its volume ranking and new estimates indicate the Grizzly Giant is around 3,000 years old.) (Submitted on November 19, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

3. The 2,700-year-old tree giant “Grizzly Giant”. (Submitted on November 19, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

The "Grizzly Giant" (<i>bottom</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, June 29, 2014

3. The "Grizzly Giant" (bottom)

The "Grizzly Giant" (<i>top</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, June 29, 2014

4. The "Grizzly Giant" (top)

The "Grizzly Giant" image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, June 29, 2014

5. The "Grizzly Giant"

Credits. This page was last revised on November 20, 2020. It was originally submitted on November 1, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 305 times since then and 33 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on November 19, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.