Sequoia National Park Established – This Day in History

On September 25, 1890, the U.S. Congress took a decisive step in conservation by establishing Sequoia National Park in California — one of the first U.S. national parks created to protect a living organism, the giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum). Signed into law by President Benjamin Harrison, the park aimed to preserve the awe-inspiring trees whose immense size and longevity symbolize the idea of Nature on a grand scale.

Just one week after its creation, Sequoia National Park was expanded via additional legislation, also signed by President Harrison. But in those early years, oversight was rudimentary: long before the National Park Service (which wouldn’t be established until 1916), the U.S. Army Cavalry was responsible for protecting and administering the park.

Life inside the park in its early days was rugged. Access was limited — more of a pack road than a developed route. It wasn’t until 1903 that a more substantial road to the Giant Forest was completed under Captain Charles Young, the only Black commissioned officer in the U.S. Army at the time. This made it possible for wagons to reach some of the park’s most iconic landmarks.

With the advent of the motorcar era, park infrastructure gradually adapted. Probably the most notable development was the construction of the Generals Highway in 1926, which opened access to Giant Forest for many more visitors. As visitation increased, amenities were added: one of the first projects by the National Park Service after it came into existence was building steps to Moro Rock, an outcrop with sweeping views.

Sequoia National Park today remains one of the main sanctuaries for the giant sequoias. Roughly one‐third of the naturally occurring trees of this species are found in Sequoia and its adjacent neighbor, Kings Canyon National Park, which was established in 1940. Since World War II, the two parks have often been jointly administered, preserving not only natural wonders but also the legacy of early conservation efforts.

Each year, about 1.5 million people visit Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, drawn by the sheer scale of the trees, the rugged beauty of the Sierra mountains, and the spirit of wilderness that has been protected here for well over a century.