Yosemite’s Fallen Monarch Giant Sequoia tree is one of the first named trees that visitors encounter during a visit to the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias. What is left of its immense root system fans high overhead, astonishing visitors to the grove with its complexity and majesty. This organic crown of ancient roots also illustrates important lessons about sequoia tree structures and underscores ways that we can ensure that the living trees of this grove continue to thrive for centuries, or maybe millennia.
Where is the Fallen Monarch?
Map of the Mariposa Grove from NPS.
You can visit the Fallen Monarch via a short, easy 0.3-mile (0.5-kilometer) loop from the Mariposa Grove Arrival Area & Trailhead. To get to the arrival area, park at the Mariposa Grove Welcome Plaza & Parking area near the southern entrance gate to Yosemite, and just 15 minutes from the cabins at The Redwoods In Yosemite.
During the warmer months, most visitors take the free seasonal shuttle up the 2-mile access road. However, if the shuttle is not running, or you’re looking for an extra walk, the Washburn trail leaves from the far end of the parking area and adds about 4 miles, round trip, to the excursion. The Fallen Monarch is only a few minutes’ easy stroll from the Mariposa Grove Arrival Area & Trailhead.
A Story of a Sequoia’s Root Systems
The roots of the Fallen Monarch extend in a halo around the main trunk – wide, but not deep. Photo: Theresa Ho
When you arrive at the Fallen Monarch, take a close look at the massive root system. What’s missing? Giant sequoias don’t have deep taproots. Instead, their roots spread wide – sometimes more than 150 feet (45 meters). They are also shallow, usually no deeper than six feet (2 meters). These giant sequoia roots reach out under the ground, interlinking with the roots of other trees to provide enough balance and stability to hold these massive trees aloft, as if they are holding hands.
Because most of their roots are close to the surface, sequoias are especially susceptible to soil disturbance and compaction. That’s why it’s especially important to respect the fences around some of the giant sequoias. Enough people, even as relatively light as we are, can significantly disrupt the trees’ ability to pull nutrients up into their crowns.
A Lasting Legacy: Sequoias Endure Even After They Fall
We don’t know the exact date that the Fallen Monarch toppled, but it probably fell centuries ago. Certainly, it looks much the same as it did in 1899 when F Troop of the US Cavalry posed in front of and on top of the tree with their horses, though some of the smaller roots have broken off in the intervening years.
The sequoias’ secret to remaining so well-preserved through the years lies in their high concentration of tannins. Tannins act as a natural defense against insects, bacteria, and fungi, as well as providing fire resistance, useful properties for living sequoias in addition to preserving them after they’ve fallen. You might be more familiar with the tannins in common drinks like red wine, or cranberry juice that give them that somewhat dry, astringent feeling and a bitter taste. In fact, tannins help us too. Medical research shows that the tannins in cranberry juice help to prevent urinary tract infections (UTIs).
The Fallen Monarch’s Partner
The Fallen Monarch, in the foreground, has been joined by a more recently fallen ‘monarch’ tree in the background. Photo: Theresa Ho
Given the right conditions, giant sequoias can live for millennia. The oldest one is estimated to be more than 3,200 years old. Plus, thanks to those tannins, we are able to continue to marvel at them long after they fall. However, these ancient sequoias are also relatively rare and can be surprisingly vulnerable.
If you look just beyond the Fallen Monarch, you can see an example of a second ‘monarch’ sequoia tree that fell much more recently.
On the night of January 18-19, 2021, Mariposa Grove experienced one of its most dramatic natural events in recent memory. A powerful windstorm roared through the grove with hurricane-strength gusts reaching 100 miles per hour. That night, this single Mono wind event toppled 15 giant sequoias in the Mariposa Grove – eight in the upper grove and seven in the lower grove, including this one neighboring the Fallen Monarch.
Scientists note that one or two mature sequoias typically fall during significant weather events over the course of a decade. However, losing 15 trees in a single storm was unprecedented in the grove’s documented history.
Mono winds form when high-pressure air over Nevada’s Great Basin rushes down the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada toward California’s Central Valley. As the air descends, it warms and speeds up, creating strong, dry gusts that can strike suddenly. Even the largest sequoias, with their wide but shallow roots, can be vulnerable when the ground is saturated or the wind is especially fierce. The 2021 storm was one of the strongest on record for Yosemite and a reminder of the natural forces that continue to shape this ancient forest.
In the end, the Fallen Monarch is both an elegy and a classroom. It teaches us how life endures through change, and how even the oldest living things are part of dynamic systems shaped by forces as gentle as rain seeping through soil and as fierce as a Mono wind.
Beyond the Fallen Monarch
There are many giant sequoias to explore at the Mariposa Grove. Photo: Nancy Robbins
The Fallen Monarch is one of the first named trees that you’ll encounter during a visit to the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoia. However, there is so much more to explore beyond this tree. Don’t miss the opportunity to admire living giants like the Grizzly Giant and the California Tunnel Tree.
Staying Nearby at The Redwoods In Yosemite
Stay close to the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias and the Fallen Monarch when you rent a cabin with The Redwoods In Yosemite. The cabins are inside the park gate, just minutes from the Mariposa Grove, in the community of Wawona. This quiet and peaceful community is the perfect place for a back-to-nature vacation, including nearby hikes, waterfalls, summer swimming spots, and convenient access to other Yosemite National Park destinations.
With fully equipped kitchens, forest views, and other delightful amenities, these cabin rentals provide the perfect base for Yosemite adventures. Enjoy the extra space and convenient amenities of a home away from home, located just down the street from the Mariposa Grove and the Fallen Monarch.
The Redwoods In Yosemite cabins offer a restful retreat amid idyllic forest scenery.
