The chance to again get close to Yosemite’s giant sequoias is priceless
Something all Californians can celebrate took place at Yosemite National Park last week – the reopening of the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias.
Last time The Bee reported on the grove in 2015, it was being closed for a major renovation project. The goal: To tear out asphalt from parking lot areas to return the land to its natural state so rain and melting snow could water the ground. To this end, nearly an acre and a half of asphalt was removed.
A new boardwalk was built and parts of some trails were covered with StaLok, a type of paving material that allows water to penetrate while it helps protect tree roots. New wheelchair-accessible paths will allow disabled people to enjoy the grandeur of the grove. Wetlands were restored with native plants, and curbs were redesigned so runoff doesn’t flow out of the area. Hundreds of dead pine trees, killed by the bark beetle infestation, were removed so more sunlight can fall on sequoia saplings. The gift shop was moved toward a new 300-space parking area just inside the south entrance off Highway 41, where a welcome center with bathrooms was built.
One of the biggest changes is the creation of a central place to catch free shuttles that ferry visitors to the grove. The shuttle pickup is two miles from the trees, and must be used during the busy summer season. Tram tours of the grove are a thing of the past.
Removal of the parking lot will restore the health of the grove and create a better visitor experience, explained Yosemite ecologist Sue Beatty. “To see the transformation of the lower grove area from a parking lot to giant sequoia habitat has just been incredible.”
What visitors experience are around 500 sequoias, among the oldest and largest living things on Earth. Sequoia trees are like something from a “Jurassic Park” movie: Massive trunks covered in thick, reddish bark. The trees rise hundreds of feet into the sky, where short branches top the tree with a canopy of green needles. The Grizzly Giant, one of the sequoias in the grove, is estimated to be 1,800 years old.
The trees achieved enough notoriety by the 1860s that they were the motivation for President Abraham Lincoln to set the grove aside forever, along with Yosemite Valley. The national park system was the later result.
The trees can be enjoyed year-round. Yosemite allows access in the winter for those hardy enough to try cross-country skiing or snowshoeing. There is even overnight snow camping in a part of the grove from December to mid-April.
About 1.5 million people visited the Mariposa Grove a year before the project, so Yosemite officials expect at least that many again.
The $40 million price of the renovation was split between the federal government and the Yosemite Conservancy, a nonprofit that advocates for the park. The chance to again witness one of nature’s wonders at Yosemite: Priceless.
This story was originally published June 19, 2018 at 10:17 AM.