Three Fingered Jack
Height: 196.00+ ft (59.74+ m) Elevation: 6,264 ft (1,909 m) GPS Latitude: 36.22257
Volume: 28,467 ft3 (806 m3) Creek: Coburn Creek GPS Longitude: -118.68233
Width: 18.60 ft (5.67 m) Grove: Mountain Home Grove Discovery Date: 1992
Age: Park: Giant Sequoia NM Discovered By: Wendell D. Flint
Michael M. Law

Notes: Before the 2020 Castle Fire, Three Fingered Jack was the 16th largest tree in Giant Sequoia National Monument, and the 8th largest tree in Mountain Home Grove. The trunk lost 1,651 ft3 (47 m3) volume and 44 ft (13 m) height after it burned, and Three Fingered Jack is now the 24th largest tree in Giant Sequoia National Monument and the 12th largest tree in Mountain Home Grove.

Naturalists Wendell D. Flint and Michael M. Law named the tree Three Fingered Jack because the dead treetop, which broke off after the trunk burned in 2020, resembled a deformed, three-fingered hand.

Drive: Three Fingered Jack 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 left at the next fork in the road onto Balch Park Road toward Balch Park. Drive north 0.5 mi (0.8 km) on Balch Park Road, past Balch Park Campground, to the parking spot, located at 36.22393 -118.68038, on the left/west 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 25 min of driving one-way.

Hike: From the parking spot, hike west 0.3 mi (0.5 km) on an unnamed and unpaved road to Three Fingered Jack.

Rating: Easy One-Way Distance: 0.3 mi (0.5 km) Ascent: 162 ft (49 m)
Time: 8 min Off-Trail: 0 ft (0 m) Descent: 247 ft (75 m)
Three Fingered Jack Tree Hike Map

View Three Fingered Jack Tree location in Google Maps

Panorama: Click panorama to take a virtual tour of Three Fingered Jack Tree

Three Fingered Jack Tree

Photos: Pictures of Three Fingered Jack Tree taken from different sides

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