Washington - 30th Largest Giant Redwood
Height: 233.76+ ft (71.25+ m) Elevation: 6,519 ft (1,987 m) GPS Latitude: 37.51507
Volume: 33,372 ft3 (945 m3) Creek: Rattlesnake Creek GPS Longitude: -119.59806
Width: 23.80 ft (7.25 m) Grove: Mariposa Grove Discovery Date: 1857
Age: 2,176 y Park: Yosemite NP Discovered By: Galen Clark

Notes: Washington, named to honor George Washington, the 1st President of the United States, is the 30th largest giant redwood and the largest tree in Yosemite National Park. The crown of Washington contains more than one billion leaves and forty-three thousand cones. A 128-year-old ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) grows atop a limb within the crown.

In 1910, author B. M. Leitch published a mislabeled photograph of a different tree located 315 ft (96 m) northeast of Washington.

Washington should not be confused with Booker T. Washington or another Washington tree, once considered the world's second largest tree, which grow in Giant Forest in Sequoia National Park.

Drive: Washington is 155 mi (249 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 110 mi (161 km) on California State Highway 41 to Oakhurst.

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 Merced, transfer to California State Highway 140 East. Drive east 36 mi (58 km) on California State Highway 140 to Mariposa and transfer to California State Highway 49 East. Drive east 26 mi (42 km) on California State Highway 49 to Oakhurst and transfer to California State Highway 41 North.

From Oakhurst, drive north 17 mi (27 km) on California State Highway 41 to the southern entrance station of Yosemite National Park (entrance fee and occasional peak-hours reservation required). Turn right onto Mariposa Grove Road, drive east 275 ft (84 m), and turn right into the Mariposa Grove Welcome Plaza parking lot.

Ride a free shuttle bus or hike east 2 mi (3 km) on Washburn Trail from the Mariposa Grove Welcome Plaza to the Mariposa Grove Arrival Area. Buses depart from the Welcome Plaza every 15 minutes from 8 AM to 7 PM April 1 through September 2, from 8 AM to 5:30 PM September 3 through November 2, and from 8 AM to 3:30 PM from November 3 through November 30. No shuttle service is available from December 1 through March 30.

Road Warning: Mariposa Grove Road is closed (with a locked gate) during winter. Depending on weather conditions, Mariposa Grove Road usually remains open from April through November. However, during that time, the road is open only to shuttle buses, vehicles with disability placards, bicycles, and pedestrians. Accessible parking is available at the Mariposa Grove Arrival Area and at a smaller lot near Grizzly Giant.

Visit nps.gov/yose for updates and more information.

Hike: From the trailhead, hike northeast/uphill 0.15 mi (0.24 km) on Big Trees Loop Trail, past Fallen Monarch, to the junction with Grizzly Giant Loop Trail. Turn right at the trail junction and hike northeast/uphill 0.5 mi (0.8 km) on Grizzly Giant Loop Trail, past Bachelor and Three Graces and Grizzly Giant, to the junction with Mariposa Grove Trail. Veer right at the trail junction and hike north 2.1 mi (3.4 km) on Mariposa Grove Trail, past Faithful Couple, Clothespin, Mariposa, American Legion, and the junction with the Guardians Loop Trail, to the trail exit point near 37.51463 -119.59809. Turn left here, just before Lincoln, and hike north 150 ft (46 m) off-trail to Washington.

Rating: Easy One-Way Distance: 2.7 mi (4.3 km) Ascent: 1,012 ft (308 m)
Time: 1 hr 20 min Off-Trail: 150 ft (46 m) Descent: 122 ft (37 m)
Washington Tree Hike Map

View Washington Tree location in Google Maps

Photos: Pictures of Washington Tree taken from different sides

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