| Height: | Elevation: | 5,811 ft (1,771 m) | GPS Latitude: | 37.76846 | ||
| Volume: | Creek: | North Crane Creek | GPS Longitude: | -119.80578 | ||
| Width: | 20.80 ft | (6.34 m) | Grove: | Tuolomne Grove | Discovery Date: | May 10, 1858 |
| Age: | Park: | Yosemite NP | Discovered By: | James L. Cogswell |
Notes: Dead Giant, also known as King Solomon's Temple, is the first tunnel redwood tree. Dentist turned prospector James L. Cogswell discovered Tuolomne Grove on May 10, 1858 and named the giant redwood snag King Solomon's Temple. In 1878, David and James J. Lumsden and William McCarthy carved a 10 ft (3 m)-wide, 12 ft (4 m)-tall tunnel through the dead trunk so that wagons and, later, automobiles could drive through it. Dead Giant, as it came to be known sometime later, remained a drive-through tree from 1878 until 1993 when the National Park Service closed the grove to automobile traffic.
Dead Giant should not be confused with other Dead Giant trees located in Giant Forest in Sequoia National Park and in Mariposa Grove in Yosemite National Park.
Drive: Dead Giant is 143 mi (230 km) east of San Francisco near the city of Oakhurst.
Northbound: From U.S. Interstate 5 North, transfer to California State Highway 41 North toward Kettleman City. Drive north 142 mi (229 km) on California State Highway 41, past the South Entrance Station of Yosemite National Park (entrance fee required), to the junction with Southside Drive in Yosemite Valley. Merge onto Southside Drive, drive east 1.4 mi (2.3 km), and veer left (north) onto El Capitan Drive toward California State Highways 40, 120, and 140. Turn left at the stop sign and drive north 0.4 mi (0.6 km) on El Capitan Drive to the junction with Northside Drive. Merge onto Northside Drive and drive west 2.4 mi (3.9 km) to the junction with El Portal Road (California State Highway 120). Continue straight at the junction onto El Portal Road (California State Highway 120), drive west 0.9 mi (1.4 km), and turn right onto Big Oak Flat Road (California State Highway 140). Drive west 9.5 mi (15.3 km) on Big Oak Flat Road (California State Highway 140) and turn right onto Tioga Road (California State Highway 120 East).
Southbound: From U.S. Interstate 5 in Stockton, transfer to California State Route 4 East. Drive east 35 mi (56 km) on California State Route 4 East toward Copperopolis and turn right onto County Road E15 East (O'Bynes Ferry Road). Drive southeast 13 mi (21 km) on County Road E15 East (O'Bynes Ferry Road), and turn left onto California State Highway 120 East. Drive east east 53 mi (85 km) on California State Highway 120 East, past the Big Oak Flat Entrance Station of Yosemite National Park (entrance fee required), and turn left onto Tioga Road (California State Highway 120 East).
Drive north 0.6 mi (1.0 km) on Tioga Road (California State Highway 120 East) and turn left into the Tuolomne Grove Trailhead parking lot.
Hike: From the trailhead at the western edge of the parking lot, hike north 1.0 mi (1.6 km) on Tuolomne Grove Trail to Tuolomne Grove. Veer right at the first fork in the trail, near 37.76759 -119.80578, and hike north 0.1 mi (0.2 km) to Dead Giant which straddles the trail ahead.
| Rating: | Easy | One-Way Distance: | 1.1 mi | (1.8 km) | Ascent: | 103 ft | (31 m) |
| Time: | 30 min | Off-Trail: | 0.0 mi | (0.0 km) | Descent: | 515 ft | (157 m) |
View Dead Giant Tree location in Google Maps
Panoramas: Click panoramas to take a virtual tour of Dead Giant Tree
Photos: Pictures of Dead Giant Tree taken from different sides
