Drought-Weakened Trees Prompt Closure of Trail to California's Giant Sequoias

The Trail of 100 Giants is a major feature of the Giant Sequoia National Monument.

Dead and dying trees are threatening to fall in Sequoia National Forest and officials have closed the Trail of 100 Giants to keep visitors safe.

The Fresno Bee reports that U.S. Forest Service officials closed the trail Tuesday because visitors could be hurt or killed by falling trees.

The Trail of 100 Giants is a major feature of the Giant Sequoia National Monument. It leads to a grove of giant sequoias that's a popular stop for tourists.

Forest Service spokeswoman Denise Alonzo says the giant sequoias aren't in danger of falling, but many drought-stricken pine trees could topple over. The problem trees will be removed and the trail will open next spring.

Giant Sequoias growing in California's Sierra Nevada are among the largest and oldest living things on earth, but scientists climbing high up into their green canopies say they are seeing symptoms of stress caused by the state's historic drought.

The iconic trees, which only grow naturally in the Sierra Nevada. Some living more than 3,000 years, Giant Sequoias grow to nearly 300 feet tall.

Roughly 75 distinct groves that grow mostly in the southern Sierra Nevada were critical to founding the Sequoia National Park 120 years ago.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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