First published in 1990, this updated and enlarged edition of Challenge of the Big Trees stands as the new definitive history of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Located in the southern Sierra Nevada of California, these twin parks, preserve an astounding sweep of natural and cultural resources, including not only the world's largest trees but also some of the most spectacular mountain terrain to be found anywhere in the nation. With its origins in the nineteenth century, the story of the two parks conveys the larger narrative of nature preservation in the United States. Generously illustrated with historic photographs and thirty-five custom maps, this new edition brings the story of Sequoia and the Kings Canyon into the twenty-first century, documenting the major changes made in the parks since 1990 and addressing the myriad challenges the parks still face, including climate change and evolving attitudes toward nature.

From a towering tree, one of California's preeminent naturalists unspools a history that echoes across generations and continents. Former park ranger William C. Tweed takes readers on a tour of the Big Trees in a narrative that travels deep into the Sierras, around the West, and all the way to New Zealand; and in doing so he explores the American public's evolving relationship with sequoias. It comes as no surprise that the groves in Yosemite and Calaveras were early tourist destinations, as this species that predated Christ and loomed over all the world's other trees was the embodiment of California's superlative, almost unbelievable appeal. When sequoias were threatened by logging interests, the feelings of horror that this desecration evoked in people catalyzed protection efforts; in a very direct way, this species inspired the Park Idea. And sequoias' influence doesn't end there: as science evolved to consider landscapes more holistically, sequoias were once again at the heart of this attitudinal shift. Featuring an entrancing cast of adventurers, researchers, politicians, and environmentalists, King Sequoia reveals how one tree species has transformed Americans' connection to the natural world.

In this provocative walking meditation, writer and former park ranger William Tweed takes us to California's spectacular High Sierra to discover a new vision for our national parks as they approach their 100th anniversary. Tweed, who worked among the Sierra Nevada's big peaks and big trees for more than thirty years, has now hiked more than 200 miles along California's John Muir Trail in a personal search for answers: How do we address the climate change we are seeing even now - in melting glaciers in Glacier National Park, changing rainy seasons on Mt Rainer, and more fire in the West's iconic parks. Should we intervene where we can to preserve biodiversity? Should the parks merely become ecosystem museums that exhibit famous landscapes and species? Asking how we can make these magnificent parks relevant for the next generation, Tweed, through his journey, ultimately shows why we must do just that.

In this provocative walking meditation, writer and former park ranger William Tweed takes us to CaliforniaOCOs spectacular High Sierra to discover a new vision for our national parks as they approach their 100th anniversary. Tweed, who worked among the Sierra NevadaOCOs big peaks and big trees for more than thirty years, has now hiked more than 200 miles along CaliforniaOCOs John Muir Trail in a personal search for answers: How do we address the climate change we are seeing even nowOCoin melting glaciers in Glacier National Park, changing rainy seasons on Mt Rainer, and more fire in the WestOCOs iconic parks. Should we intervene where we can to preserve biodiversity? Should the parks merely become ecosystem museums that exhibit famous landscapes and species? Asking how we can make these magnificent parks relevant for the next generation, Tweed, through his journey, ultimately shows why we must do just that."