General Sherman Tree

Two climbers wearing hard hats shimmy up ropes along the trunk of a massive giant sequoia

First climb of General Sherman Tree reveals health status

by Kristina Malsberger on

The iconic giant sequoia, which stands in California’s Sequoia National Park, is the largest living tree on the planet and has withstood two millennia of storms, drought, and wildfires. But it has never had a proper check-up.

On May 21, researchers with the Ancient Forest Society used climbing ropes to ascend to General Sherman’s upper crown in the first-ever climb of the 275-foot-tall giant sequoia. Their mission: to visually inspect the ancient tree for signs of infestation by sequoia bark beetles—an emerging threat that has already killed as many as 40 mature giant sequoias since 2015.

A person stands between two huge giant sequoia trees.

Going solo in Sequoia National Park

by Christin Campbell on

From childhood, many of the stories we’re told about nature are cautionary tales. These bedtime stories frighten us with the horrors one may find if we dare venture into the woods alone. Especially for young girls and marginalized folks, these …

General Sherman Tree. Photograph by Bill Fletcher

Defiant Redwood of the Week: General Sherman Tree

by Garrison Frost on

The General Sherman Tree is about 2,000 years old and is a giant among giants. Considered the world’s largest tree, measured by volume, it stands 275 feet tall. In a world full of threats and challenges, it has planted its roots and set its defenses. It is strong and ready.