 General Grant Tree
N 36° 44.840 W 118° 58.386
11S E 323852 N 4068658
The tree with the largest girth in the world and America's official christmas tree.
Waymark Code: WMDE7
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 05/25/2006
Views: 163
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Judy, admiring the Gen. Grant Tree |
This is the largest tree in Kings Canyon National Park. Named for the leader of the Union forces during the Civil War, the General Grant Tree is the world's third-largest living being and has the greatest base diameter of any sequoia at 40.3 feet. This is 3.5 feet more than the world's largest tree, General Sherman, in Sequoia National Park. The Grant tree trunk, however, quickly tapers to 29 feet DBH (Diameter at Breast Height, or 4.5 feet above the ground), the standard measure of tree size.
The General Grant Tree is as tall as a 27-story building. It is wider at the base than a three-lane freeway.
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Genus/Species: Giant Sequoia
 Height: 267
 Girth: 107
 Method of obtaining height: Reliable source
 Method of obtaining girth: Reliable source
 Location type: Park
 Age: 1700
 Historical significance: In 1926, President Calvin Coolidge designated the General Grant Tree as the Nation's Christmas Tree.
The tree is also a living memorial to the men and women of the United States who have given their lives in service to their country. It was proclaimed a National Shrine on March 29, 1956 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. The official dedication was made that year on Veterans Day, November 11, by the president's personal representative, Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz. It is the only living National Shrine and each year during the Christmas ceremony, park rangers place a large wreath at the base of the Grant Tree, remembering those who gave their lives.
 Website reference: [Web Link]
 Walk time: 2
 Planter: Not listed
 Parking coordinates: Not Listed
 Photograpy coordinates: Not Listed

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Visit Instructions: A closeup picture of your GPS receiver in your hand, with the tree in the background, is required. If the tree is on private property, this closeup photograph with the tree in the background may be taken from the nearest public vantage point without actually going to the tree. The required photograph does not need to show the entire tree, but the individual tree must be recognizable.
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