Nelder Grove

Nelder Grove, located in the western Sierra Nevada within the Sierra National Forest in Madera County, California, is a Giant sequoia grove that was formerly known as Fresno Grove. The grove is a 1,540-acre (6.2 km) tract containing 60 mature Giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) trees, the largest concentration of giant sequoias in the Sierra National Forest. The grove also contains several historical points of interest, including pioneer cabins, giant sequoia stumps left by 19th-century loggers, and the site where the Forest King exhibition tree was felled in 1870 for display.
Before European Americans arrived, Nelder Grove had 400 mature sequoias, but the population has experienced several steep declines since then. About 70% of the mature trees were cut during the late 19th century timber era. Despite federal protection in the 20th century, the sequoias have been further impacted by decades of fire exclusion, with 38 trees lost in the Railroad Fire of 2017. Today, only 60 mature specimens remain in the grove.
In 1928, the Madera Sugar Pine Company transferred the land to the U.S. Forest Service, placing the grove under federal protection.
Nelder Grove, a montane forest in the Sierra Nevada, is primarily composed of giant sequoias along with other tree species such as ponderosa pine, white fir, and California incense-cedar. The sequoias in Nelder Grove exhibit a low level of genetic diversity, unusual even for their species. Despite its proximity, just 4.3 mi (6.9 km) from Mariposa Grove, there's no evidence of genetic exchange between the two populations. This genetic isolation heightens Nelder Grove's vulnerability to climate change, underscoring its conservation importance.
The grove also supports rare plant species, including the mountain-lady slipper orchid and the veined water lichen. Its wildlife includes black bear, mule deer, long-tailed weasel, raccoon, gray squirrel, chipmunk, and flying squirrels.
Human occupation of Nelder Grove dates back approximately 15,000 years. Historically, the area served as a seasonal hub for the Mono and Miwok tribes during their trans-Sierra travels. Other tribes, including the Dumma, Heuchi, Chuckchansi, Chowchillas, Paiute, Kechayi, and Dalinchi, also traveled through the region. Artifacts such as mortar holes, which were used to grind acorns into flour, are evidence of this longstanding human presence.
In July 1858, conservationist Galen Clark formally discovered Nelder Grove, naming it Fresno Grove due to its location in Fresno County and proximity to the headwaters of the Fresno River. However, a later discovery in Robert Eccleston's diary revealed that the Mariposa Battalion had already passed through the grove in 1851 during the Mariposa War, a discovery that had not been publicized at the time.
The grove is now named for John A. Nelder, known as the "Hermit of the Fresno Forest" by John Muir. Nelder, who came to California during the 1849 gold rush, filed a homestead claim for 165 acres within the grove in 1874 and built a cabin near its largest tree the following year. Muir wrote about Nelder and the grove for The Atlantic Monthly in 1878, later including it in his book Our National Parks.
John Nelder was killed in 1889 when a fire consumed his cabin. His son inherited his estate and deeded it to the Madera Flume and Trading Company in 1892.
Nelder Grove was subjected to extensive logging in the late 19th century. The Madera Flume and Trading Company logged 277 mature sequoias, each measuring over four feet in diameter, between 1880 and 1892. Many of the surrounding trees, including sugar pines, ponderosa pines, white firs, and incense-cedars were also clearcut.
The logging process in the grove was grueling, with horse and oxen teams hauling heavy wagons of logs to the mill. The arrival of a Dolbeer single spool donkey, a steam-powered winch, made the work easier in later years. Due to a lack of water in the grove, a 1 mi (1.6 km) long gravity tramway was built to transport the lumber to the Soquel log flume, which then transported it 52 mi (84 km) to the Madera lumber yards, before it finally reached the national market via the Southern Pacific Railroad.
By 1897, the area close to the mill had been completely logged, and the last sequoia in Nelder Grove was cut.
The Nelder Grove is home to several giant sequoias that are notable for their size and history.
Nelder Grove is less accessible compared to the nearby Mariposa Grove, which can be easily reached by paved roads and shuttle buses. Under favorable conditions, visitors can reach Nelder Grove within two hours from Fresno by heading north, or from Yosemite National Park by traveling south on Highway 41 to Road 632, also known as Sky Ranch Road. However, the dirt road leading into the grove can be difficult, with muddy and rutted conditions, and is often impassable due to deep snow during the winter months.
The Shadow of the Giants National Recreation Trail, located in Nelder Grove, was built in 1965 and designated a National Recreation Trail in 1978. However, the Railroad Fire in 2015 destroyed the trail’s informational panels, bridges, and other infrastructure. As of 2022, the trail remains closed and overgrown with brush.
Additionally, there is a Sierra National Forest campground located at the Nelder Grove which serves as a spot for camping and outdoor activities.
The Nelder Grove Interpretive Center features several artifacts from the area's logging era, including two restored log cabins and replicas of traditional logging chutes. These cabins, originally constructed by pioneers in the late 1800s at nearby Bildeo Meadow, were moved to Nelder Grove in the 1980s under a project funded by the National Historic Preservation Act. They are among the oldest structures in the Sierra National Forest.
In September 2017, the Railroad Fire swept through much of Nelder Grove, destroying 38 of its giant sequoias and leading to the permanent closure of the popular Shadow of the Giants trail.
Experts attribute the wildfire’s intensity to several factors, including the historic 2011–2017 California drought, which caused significant dieback and stress in giant sequoias. Additionally, a century of fire suppression had led to heavy fuel buildup on the forest floor and dense understory growth, making the blaze more destructive.
Forest monitors had warned of such risks for decades. As early as the 1960s, Madera County discussed acquiring the grove to bypass federal restrictions on timber cutting and prescribed burns in the Sierra National Forest. Despite these warnings, no major preventive actions were taken before the Railroad Fire. “We’d better reduce the fuels, or we’re going to lose this resource,” Paul Rich, a retired 33-year veteran of the U.S. Forest Service, warned in 2000.
Following the Railroad Fire, researchers noted a strong correlation between fire severity and the density, growth, and dominance of new giant sequoia seedlings. The successful natural regeneration of these seedlings provides hope for restoring other groves with large burn scars.
In July 2022, the U.S. Forest Service authorized an expedited Emergency Response plan to reduce combustible materials in Nelder Grove. Officials aim to replicate the success of wildfire prevention efforts seen in nearby Mariposa Grove during the 2022 Washburn Fire. As part of the initiative, 42 mature giant sequoias now have a 100-foot protective buffer.