Near Sherman - Tallest Giant Redwood
Height: 316.60+ ft (96.50+ m) Elevation: 6,966 ft (2,123 m) GPS Latitude: 36.58032
Volume: 17,799 ft3 (504 m3) Creek: Sherman Creek GPS Longitude: -118.74814
Width: 18.14 ft (5.53 m) Grove: Giant Forest Discovery Date: 2012
Age: 1,353 y Park: Sequoia NP Discovered By: LiDAR

Notes: Near Sherman (the tree is 0.2 mi (0.3 km) southeast of General Sherman) is the tallest giant redwood. The crown of Near Sherman contains more than one billion leaves and over sixty-seven thousand cones.

University of Washington forestry assistant professor Robert Van Pelt published an orthographic illustration of Near Sherman (shown at right).

The tallest giant redwood (Near Sherman) and the tallest coast redwood (Hyperion) grow 427 mi (687 km) apart, the tallest giant redwood (Near Sherman) and the largest coast redwood (Hail Storm) grow 460 mi (740 km) apart, and the tallest (Near Sherman) and the largest (General Sherman) giant redwoods grow 0.2 mi (0.3 km) apart.

Near Sherman is directly in the path of the May 3, 2106 total solar eclipse.

Drive: Near Sherman is 218 mi (351 km) southeast of San Francisco near Fresno.

Northbound: From U.S. Interstate 5 North, transfer to California State Route 99 North toward Bakersfield. Drive north 97 mi (156 km) on California State Route 99 and transfer to California State Route 198 East toward Visalia. Drive east 63 mi (101 km) on California State Route 198 (Generals Highway), past Four Guardsmen, and turn right onto Wolverton Road.

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 Fresno, transfer to California State Route 180 East. Drive east 56 mi (90 km) on California State Route 180, and turn right onto California State Route 198 West. Drive south 26 mi (42 km) on California State Route 198 (Generals Highway) and turn left onto Wolverton Road.

Drive east 0.6 mi (1.0 km) on Wolverton Road, turn right at a stop sign onto an unnamed road, and drive south 0.6 mi (1.0 km) to the Sherman Tree parking lot.

Hike: GPS-assisted navigation is recommended for this hike. From the Sherman Tree Trail information building, walk south/downhill 0.4 mi (0.6 km) on the paved Sherman Tree Trail toward General Sherman. Near the bottom, turn left onto Congress Trail and hike southeast 0.1 mi (0.2 km) to the trail exit point near 36.58020 -118.74955. Leave the trail here and, using a GPS device, hike uphill/east 420 ft (180 m) off-trail, following a small gully, to Near Sherman.

Near Sherman Shortcuts: During summer (late May to late September) Sequoia Shuttle bus operations, park at the Sherman Tree parking lot and ride the free Sequoia Shuttle (Green Route 1 or Orange Route 4) from the parking lot to the General Sherman Tree Accessible Trail. Alternatively, park at a turnout, located at 36.57818 -118.75286, on the west side of California State Route 198 (Generals Highway) just south of General Sherman and hike north 0.2 mi (0.3 km) on the highway to the Sherman Tree Accessible Trail parking lot. This parking lot is available to all park visitors (including those without disability parking placards) during winter whenever the main Sherman Tree parking lot, off Wolverton Road, is closed. Hike north 0.1 mi (0.2 km) on the Sherman Tree Accessible Trail toward General Sherman. Turn right onto Congress Trail and hike southeast 0.1 mi (0.2 km) to the trail exit point near 36.58020 -118.74955. Leave the trail here and, using a GPS device, hike uphill/east 420 ft (180 m) off-trail, following a small gully, to Near Sherman.

Rating: Easy One-Way Distance: 0.5 mi (0.8 km) Ascent: 200 ft (61 m)
Time: 15 min Off-Trail: 420 ft (180 m) Descent: 268 ft (82 m)
Near Sherman Tree Hike Map

View Near Sherman Tree location in Google Maps

Panoramas: Click panoramas to take a virtual tour of Near Sherman Tree

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Photos: Pictures of Near Sherman Tree taken from different sides

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