big stump basin

This was a really cool trail of stumps but none of them were labeled. The were a sight to see. The trail was nice with a pretty meadow.

Wow, what an awesome time driving through the National Parks of Sequoia and Kings Canyon. Seeing this Big Stump, the huge trees, and viewing the past one can only imagine the past settlers traveling with the wagons, horses, and oxen. And they be thankful that these parks were saved for us to enjoy and experience. Do view these so you can mark this experience off your bucket list.

Perhaps it suffers in comparison to the Giant Forest and Grants Grove, but I was somewhat disappointed by the walk (1 mile loop) to the stump of the Mark Twain Sequoia, which was cut down in the 1890's, so that a cross section could be sent to the American Museum of Natural History and a British Museum, where a disbelieving public called it a "California Hoax" due to its unbelievable immensity. Other evidence of the logging of these giant trees lies along the trail, although several large trees survive in this grove. if you're in a hurry, this attraction can be dispensed with. It does have a bathroom, however, which you may need after the hour long drive from Fresno up Highway 180. ;o)

The Big Stump Basin is located next to the Kings Canyon National Park main entrance on Highway 180 about two and a half miles southwest of the visitor center. The Big Stump trail is in this basin and starts near the rest room next to the parking lot (it took me a few minutes to find it). This easy two mile loop trail is relatively flat and takes about an hour to complete. The circular loop path passes a few surviving large sequoias, plus many fallen trunks and stumps.This area was once home to a grove of massive and majestic Giant Sequoias but sadly, early loggers cut down most of the trees in this basin. In addition, early loggers cut down about one third of all the Giant Sequoias. Ironically the sequoia wood was brittle and broke across the grain when it fell, so it was useless as timber. I went with my wife in mid-July and we really enjoyed the hike and the basin. The best part of the hike is looking at the stump of the Mark Twain tree. This massive tree was cut down in 1891 to display in the New York Museum of Natural History and the British Museum of Natural History in London. You can still see slices of it today. What a shame someone cut this magnificent old tree down. There are wooden steps that allow you to climb up and walk on the stump. You really get a feel for how big this tree was by walking on the stump. I also enjoyed looking at the Giant Sequoias that was partially cut down but the loggers gave up as it would have fallen in the wrong direction. The tree still lives over 100 years after giant cuts were made around the tree. The trail was not crowded and we did not see that many other people on the hike. Overall I really enjoyed the hike and looking at the old and massive stumps. While visiting the stumps was not as interesting as visiting the live trees, it was still worth the visit and I recommend it. The stumps are a reminder of why the park was created – to protect the fantastic Giant Sequoia trees.

As someone has already said, "GET OUT OF YOUR CAR". This very short hike is well worth the time. Seeing some of the history of the park, the deforestation, the damage we did, etc . . really drives home the idea of preserving these natural wonders for all to enjoy. The hike from the parking lot for Big Basin is very short and starts right near the restrooms. You will see all kinds of wonders that most never see and still be within walking distance to the Generals Highway. This short hike is a real treat.

Go see these stumps! A short loop hike that is very easy and very impressive. Get up close and on one of the stumps. Quiet, less crowded and a nice break from the crowds.

I thought that seeing a stump was dumb, I was wrong. This is completely worth the short hike. You can stand on top of the stump of the cross section of Sequoia Tree that is in 2 museums. One in London and one somewhere in the US. (I cannot remember where). You can stand up on a 40 foot diameter stump, it is amazing.

My wife had spotted a picture of a stump with a ladder and hoped to see it. It is actually the "Mark Twain Stump" and it is easily accessed from the pullout just past the entry station near Grant Grove. Most other spots in the park don't invite you to get so 'up close and personal' with the trees, so check this one out!

stumps of huge Sequoias cut 100 years ago; now part of Sequoia National Park - to stop the logging of the giants. The wood is not valuable like Redwood is - it shatters. Pretty place, young sequoias growing nicely.

Watching people pull up, get out of their cars, use the washroom and then take a photo of the smallish (they think its big) stump by the bathrooms almost makes you weep. If you have driven all that way take 30 minutes and take the trail to the Mark Twain stump. Its a great walk and the site of all the stumps along the way, trees sacrifice for very little gain (they shattered when they fell) is a sobering lesson. Your kids might want to jump back into the car to watch The Lorax on their iPad. Show them the real thing.

We hiked the Big Stump Trail near the Grant Grove entrance station to see the impact of deforestation at Sequoia. Our daughter was working on her Girl Scout Cadette Trees badge, which called for understanding more about deforestation and logging. What better place to see the impact? We easily completed the trail in an hour. We got the one page trail guide from the Grant Grove Visitor Center. It was also a great opportunity for our Cadette to work on map reading skills and identify where we should be looking for the key sites on the map. We were able to walk inside the Burnt Monarch tree and on the Shattered Giant tree. There are huge piles of sequoia sawdust leftover from the logging days. The Mark Twain Stump was created when the American Museum of Natural History wanted a slice to show their visitors. Shame on them! There are lots of trees growing back and I think this helped cement in our minds why this park was created. That the threat of cutting down all the trees was real.We paired this hike up with an afternoon swim at Lake Hume, which was refreshing.

Probably not the most popular of trails as was the case the morning we did this hike. Who wants to see a 'bunch of stumps' right? My good rating is not for the awe-inspiring width of these felled giants but for the educational hike itself. This is a close look at what necessity, survival, greed and ignorance can do to nature. Then along came the naturalists lobbying for change such as John Muir to help man understand and stop irreparable damage to these gentle giants and other trees.The trail is an easy 2-mile hike, which focuses on mature trees, meadows, wildflowers, forest growth and the stumps that lie abandoned in among the living trees. Some trees still have huge wound like scars, which had been left standing for unexplained reasons. There was a mill located here so that these huge sentinels could be logged and processed much easier.The Mark Twain stump, which is in an open meadow, is one of the largest and stairs leading onto the stump gives you an idea how wide and how old this giant was when it was felled. Over 1350 years old when logged it is now a sad memorial to a once living thing. A cross section of the tree was cut and sent to a museum and is still on display today. Most of the stump wood is still in good condition as the decay rate is far slower due to the makeup of the timber.So seeing the result of past misadventures we were glad to have the chance to see other living giants of the forest in this beautiful setting. This trail is not just about seeing the stumps but the amazing living trees and growth that are now protected.Please enjoy your visit!

This is a beautiful area to drive to. The Hugh stumps that are left after the trees were logged look to be a memorial to there lives. It looks like gravestone in a beautiful meadow. I was hurt by the loss of such beautiful giants.

these stumps are massive examples of mans poor judgement. the area is beautiful its just a shame they were cut down in the first place. its an easy hike through the area, the only things missing were the snow and the crowds, winning!

Wenn man sich auf diesen Ausflug einlässt erlebt man einen Tag voller Trauer und Melancholie. Sehr nachdenklich gingen wir durch die Stümpfe der abgeholzten Baumriesen und waren dann doch froh, dass die Holzarbeiter nicht in der Lage waren, das Holz schnell genug abtransportieren zu können. Nur dadurch sind die anderen wunderbaren Bäume noch erhalten belieben.