A Symbol of the Fragility of our National Parks

Time to get started on this topic. Take a few moments to read every aspect of this paper hopefully it will be of great help.

Our national parks are known for their amazing monuments, breath-taking scenery, and diverse wildlife. Much of the landscape has remained unchanged for thousands of years and give us a glimpse of what the natives and early settlers might have seen. Two of the most amazing sights to behold are the General Grant Tree and Kings Canyon found in the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, two national parks merged into one.

The General Grant Tree towers over 260 feet above the Grant Grove, the largest remaining natural Sequoia grove in the world. The circumference of its trunk at its widest is over 90 feet alone. The true size is difficult to imagine but, to put it in perspective, the General Grant Tree is a little shorter than the Statue of Liberty standing on her pedestal and the trunk is bigger than the Oval Office at the White House. This two thousand year old Sequoia tree also has the designation of being the third largest Sequoia in the world, the second largest of all our national parks (the largest found also found in the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park but not nearly as picturesque), and our nation's Christmas Tree.

The General Grant Tree can be found at the north entrance of the park along Route 180 leading to Grant's Grove Village.

Despite the impressive size of the General Grant Tree, the true centerpiece of the Kings Canyon National Parks is Kings Canyon. Kings Canyon has the distinction of being the deepest canyon in North America. At 8000 feet from its highest point to the Kings River cutting through its middle, it is deeper than even the Grand Canyon though it lacks the sheer width that makes the Grand Canyon more impressive.

Most of the Kings Canyon National Parks beautiful sights can only be enjoyed by hiking. The terrain is untainted by vehicle traffic with the exception of the visitor centers of both of our national parks. An ambitious hiker who takes on the challenges of conquering the canyon will be rewarded with the beautifully green Cedars Grove and Zumwalt Meadow contrasted by the sheer grey rock faces on each side.

Other notable places to visit in the Kings Canyon National Park include the Roaring River Falls, a section of the Kings River that tumbles down the rocky side of the Kings Canyon. Big Stump Basin is another location to visit, where remnants of fallen giant Sequoia trees lay dead from timber operations from the early 1900's as a reminder of mankind's lasting effects on our environment.

There are many lessons to be learned from our national parks. The Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks demonstrate the overwhelming beauty and awesome size of forests that are left untouched by humans. Once these trees are gone, they will be lost forever unless we continue to take the necessary steps to preserve them. In a world directing its attention to environmental protection, these lessons could be applied to any natural area on the planet.

That's it for this article, check out some of the other articles on my site for another great read.





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Today's Tip On National Parks

You can find out more about the National Parks Conservation Association by checking out their website (www.npca.org). You can also call them at 1-800-628-7275. You will find information about their past successes and their future goals and get a few ideas for how you can make a lasting contribution to keep this precious resource alive and well.



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