Discovery Tree

The Discovery Tree, also known as The Mammoth Tree was a Sequoiadendron giganteum tree located in Calaveras Grove, California. In 1852, A.T. Dowd found a grove in the Sierra Nevada; the trees in the grove were believed to be the first giant sequoia trees to be discovered, though some earlier reports of giant sequoias were reported.The trees he discovered included the Discovery Tree, with a height of 300 feet high and a base measuring over 24 feet in diameter.The Discovery Tree was cut down and shipped to San Francisco and New York City for exhibition. The tree played a large role in the introduction of the Yosemite Grant to Congress, an act that helped preserve the giant sequoias. The stump of the Discovery Tree is a popular attraction in Calaveras Grove, which has about 200,000 visitors each year.