Balch Park

Balch Park is a county park in the southern Sierra Nevada mountains of California that features a grove of Giant Sequoia trees. It also has archaeological sites relating to the early Native Americans of the area, and to the late 19th- and early 20th-century logging industry that cut down many of the big trees in the area.DescriptionBalch Park is known for its grove of Giant Sequoia trees that rivals the better known groves of nearby Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon National Park. Two of the more impressive trees in the park are the Lady Alice Alice tree, and the Allen Russell Tree, which is the 33rd largest Sequoia in the world and the largest tree in Balch Park. There is also the Hollow Log, which is a fallen Giant Sequoia that was formerly used as a dwelling and a warehouse. Just outside the park is the Genesis Tree, the 7th largest tree in the world, and the Adam Tree, which is the 20th largest tree.The area once supported several lumber mills, and even though many of the larger trees in the surrounding forest were logged, the trees at Balch Park were spared due to the efforts of conservation minded individuals, some of whom hoped to save the trees for future generations, and some of whom looked to profit from the trees as tourist attractions. A small museum near the entrance to the park has exhibits dedicated to the logging history of the area, and a nature trail that begins at the museum winds through several of the larger trees.