Sequoiadendron giganteum grow on the western slopes of the Sierra in California.

In the early days of white settlement in the area, trees were named after the states in the United States. This is the Oregon Tree. Most of the names have been lost; the trees remain. These old giants are still growing and each year each of them adds enough wood to make a normal-size tree.

Fire is necessary to the survival of the Big Trees. The seeds can only sprout after a fire, and fire is needed to clear the underbrush so the big trees can get sunlight. The bark of the trees is nearly fire-proof; only the hottest blaze can hurt it. And the tree tends to grow around the burnt part, thus surviving almost intact.

Sequoias and Redwoods Compared

	SEQUOIAS Sequoiadendron giganteum Height: to 311 ft. Age: to 3,200 years Weight: to 2.7 million lbs. Bark: to 31 in. thick Branches: to 8 ft. diameter Bases: to 40 ft. diameter Reproduce: by seed only Seed size: like oat flakes Cone size: like chicken eggs Grow in Sierra
	REDWOODS Sequoia sempervirons Height: to 367.8 ft. Age: to 2,000 years Weight: to 1.6 million lbs. Bark: to 12 in. thick Branches: to 5 ft. diameter Bases: to 22 ft. diameter Reproduce: by seed or sprout Seed size: like tomato seeds Cone size: like a large olive Grow on northern  California coast

A third type of redwood, the Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) is native to China.

Kings Canyon. The depth of a canyon can be measured in various ways; measured from the peak of Spanish Mountain to the river below, Kings Canyon is, at 7,000 feet, the deepest canyon in the world.

Kings Canyon National Park is mainly a back country of high mountains and deep canyons, almost entirely inaccessible by car.

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