The General Grant Tree in California’s Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park towers over the forest and its fellow giant sequoias. At 267 feet tall, the tree is estimated to be between 2,000 and 4,000 years old, meaning the sequoia may have sprouted about the time when ancient Egyptians built the pyramids.
It should come as no surprise, then, that the giant was officially designated as the United States’ National Christmas Tree in 1926.
Now, a century after this designation, hikers and visitors can celebrate the tree on December 14 in Grant Grove by attending a guided trek and a Christmas festival. According to the National Park Service, the event will begin at 2:30 P.M. at the historic General Grant Tree in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Park entrance fees will also be waived for the day.
“Join us this December 14th as we honor the legacy of the General Grant Tree and celebrate the spirit of community and remembrance. Parking will be limited; consider arriving early to park at the Grant Grove Village and allow time to walk down to the tree,” wrote the National Park Service on its website.
According to the Sanger, California, chamber of commerce, crowds attending the festival sing, pray, and pay tribute to the tree. Rangers from the National Park Service also place a wreath at the base of its trunk. The chamber of commerce also organizes bus transport to the park for the event.
How General Grant earned its designation is equal parts history and legend. As the story goes, former president of the Sanger Chamber of Commerce, R.J. Senior, was standing at the base of the tree in 1924 when a small girl approached him. “What a lovely Christmas tree that would be,” she said. Senior couldn’t forget her words.
The following year, Senior and others placed flowers at the base of the tree and held a short Christmas service. Senior then wrote President Calvin Coolidge a suggestion that he designate General Grant as the Nation’s Christmas Tree, which the Department of the Interior officially dedicated as such in April 1926. In 1956, Congress designated the tree as a National Shrine in memory of the armed forces.
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