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This tree was named for Charles Henry "Mountain Charlie" McKiernan (1825-1892), who was one of the first white settlers in the Santa Cruz mountain area. One of the largest trees of its species, this Sequoia Sempervirens was originally over 300 feet high. The tree stands today at 260 feet from the ground, having been broken off in a storm years ago. It is 18 feet in diameter at the base, 60 feet in circumference, and over 5 feet in diameter at the top. In 1880 when Mountain Charlie began to timber this area, he planned to cut both the big tree, known then as "King of the Forest," and the "Queen," whose stump still remains as a testimony to that grand tree. Problems with the "Queen" changed that decision and the "king" still stands today as it has for over a thousand years.
The Mountain Charlie History Tour near San Jose, California, is a series of E Clampus Vitus monuments pertaining to Mountain Charlie, that can be visited in a day. The Mountain Charlie Big Tree is located off Glenwood Drive, north of Scotts Valley. Look for signs for Big Redwood Park. Park in the small pullout area on Glenwood Drive near the bus shelter, heading north.
From the "Big Redwood Park" sign, walk accross the highway.
You will see a paved private driveway leading uphill towards the left.
Please DO NOT go up there or disturb the residents.
Instead, take the small unmarked dirt trail leading towards the right. The Mountain Charlie Big Tree and its historical plaque are about 450 feet up this trail from Glenwood Drive. About half-way up the trail on your right, one can see the stump of the "Queen" tree, and the circle of new trees which are growing from it.
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