Genesis - World's 27th Largest Tree
Height: 214.00+ ft (65.22+ m) Elevation: 6,635 ft (2,022 m) GPS Latitude: 36.21500
Volume: 34,598 ft3 (980 m3) Creek: Meadow Creek GPS Longitude: -118.66910
Width: 23.55 ft (7.18 m) Grove: Mountain Home Grove Discovery Date: 1887
Age: Park: Giant Sequoia NM Discovered By: William Moore
Harrison White

Notes: Before the 2020 Castle Fire, Genesis, also known as Dogwood Meadow Tree, was the world's 9th largest tree, the 8th largest giant redwood, the 3rd largest tree in Giant Sequoia National Monument, and the largest tree in Mountain Home Grove. The trunk lost 7,299 ft3 (207 m3) volume and 39 ft (12 m) height after it burned, and Genesis is now the world's 27th largest tree, the 25th largest giant redwood, the 6th largest tree in Giant Sequoia National Monument, and the 3rd largest tree in Mountain Home Grove.

In 1985, Mountain Home Demonstration State Forest manager David Dulitz and coworkers, following the biblical theme used for naming other giant redwoods in the grove, named the tree Genesis after the first book of the Old Testament.

Drive: Genesis is 233 mi (375 km) southeast of San Francisco near the city of Porterville.

Northbound: From U.S. Interstate 5 North, transfer to California State Route 99 North. From California State Route 99 North just north of Bakersfield, transfer to California State Route 65 North toward Porterville. Near Porterville, transfer to California State Route 190 East.

Southbound: From U.S. Interstate 5 South in Sacramento, transfer to U.S. Highway 50 East toward South Lake Tahoe. Drive east 1.7 mi (2.7 km) on U.S. Highway 50 and transfer to California State Highway 99 South. Near Tipton, transfer to California State Route 190 East toward Porterville.

From Porterville, drive east 17 mi (27 km) on California State Route 190 toward Springville. Just past Springfield, turn left onto Balch Park Road toward Scicon, Balch Park, and Mountain Home State Forest. Drive north 3.4 mi (5.5 km) on Balch Park Road and turn right onto Bear Creek Road toward Scicon, Balch Park, and Mountain Home Demonstration State Forest. Drive east 15 mi (24 km) on Bear Creek Road, past Methuselah Group Campground, and veer right at the next fork in the road onto Summit Road toward Shake Camp Campground. Drive southeast 0.3 mi (0.5 km) on Summit Road, past Oliver Twist, to the point where the road turns sharply left/north. Leave Summit Road here and drive southeast 90 ft (27 m) on an unnamed and unpaved road. Veer left at the fork in the road onto Dogwood Meadow Road. Drive 0.6 mi (1.0 km) on Dogwood Meadow Road and veer right at the next fork in the road. Drive 0.3 mi (0.5 km), past an open space then past an exceptionally large tree (which isn't Genesis), to the parking spot, located at 36.21492 -118.67023, on the left/east side of the road.

Navigation System Warning: Many computer, smartphone, and car navigation systems instruct you to turn left/north onto Rancheria Fire Road (a gated, narrow, and unpaved road) from Bear Creek Road to get to Mountain Home Demonstration State Forest. Ignore those instructions and continue driving on Bear Creek Road instead. Those same navigation systems may also instruct you to bypass Bear Creek Road altogether and to take Balch Park Road to the northern entrance of Mountain Home Demonstration State Forest. Avoid that route from Springville because it adds more than 6 mi (10 km) and 30 min of driving one-way.

Hike: From the trailhead hike east 330 ft (101 m) on an unnamed trail to Genesis.

Rating: Easy One-Way Distance: 330 ft (101 m) Ascent: 122 ft (37 m)
Time: 2 min Off-Trail: 0 ft (0 m) Descent: 37 ft (11 m)
Genesis Tree Hike Map

View Genesis Tree location in Google Maps

Panoramas: Click panoramas to take a virtual tour of Genesis Tree

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Photos: Pictures of Genesis Tree taken from different sides

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