Probably not the most popular of trails as was the case the morning we did this hike. Who wants to see a 'bunch of stumps' right? My good rating is not for the awe-inspiring width of these felled giants but for the educational hike itself.
This is a close look at what necessity, survival, greed and ignorance can do to nature. Then along came the naturalists lobbying for change such as John Muir to help man understand and stop irreparable damage to these gentle giants and other trees.

The trail is an easy 2-mile hike, which focuses on mature trees, meadows, wildflowers, forest growth and the stumps that lie abandoned in among the living trees. Some trees still have huge wound like scars, which had been left standing for unexplained reasons. There was a mill located here so that these huge sentinels could be logged and processed much easier.

The Mark Twain stump, which is in an open meadow, is one of the largest and stairs leading onto the stump gives you an idea how wide and how old this giant was when it was felled.
Over 1350 years old when logged it is now a sad memorial to a once living thing. A cross section of the tree was cut and sent to a museum and is still on display today. Most of the stump wood is still in good condition as the decay rate is far slower due to the makeup of the timber.

So seeing the result of past misadventures we were glad to have the chance to see other living giants of the forest in this beautiful setting. This trail is not just about seeing the stumps but the amazing living trees and growth that are now protected.

Please enjoy your visit!