Packsaddle Grove

Packsaddle Grove is a medium-sized sequoia grove on Giant Sequoia National Monument located in the South Creek of the Kern River watershed. It is a fairly wet grove as it straddles Packsaddle Creek and its tributaries.

This compact grove offers a rare look at a truly old growth forest where California condors have lived, and may once again do. The main access to this grove is via dirt roads and cross-country hiking. The terrain is steep, so it's a difficult hike. You can only visit this grove in the summer when the roads are open. The main option for seeing the grove itself is to hike cross-country through it.

This grove was heavily impacted by the Windy Fire in 2021, with over a third of the grove burning at high severity.

Noteworthy trees

 * Packsaddle Giant, which was killed in the Windy Fire. It had a volume of approx. 32156 cuft and the fourth-largest ground perimeter of any sequoia at 107 ft, making it the largest giant sequoia south of Stagg.
 * Candelabra Tree, with a volume of 26341 cuft, It has many large limbs that lead to a great crown of foliage.
 * Ghost Tree (sometimes referred to as General Lee Tree, of which however exist several in different groves), a once much larger tree with a heavily broken top, but growing a new top shoot (leader). This tree has a volume of 25047 cuft. It was heavily damaged in the Windy Fire.