Pinchot Tree - A Friendship Tested

A stop on Muir Woods, a free self-guided tour.

This giant, one of the widest redwoods along the trail, carries the name of Gifford Pinchot, the first chief of the U.S. Forest Service. On May 5, 1910, the Sierra Club dedicated the tree and a plaque to him, thanking him for urging President Roosevelt to accept the Kents' gift. Pinchot himself wasn't here; William Kent gave a short speech and fed lunch to some 300 guests.

The tree also stands for an argument that shaped American conservation. Pinchot believed forests should be managed and used wisely. John Muir believed wild places should be left alone. They split over Hetch Hetchy, a valley in Yosemite that San Francisco wanted to dam for water. Kent, by then a congressman, sided with the dam, and his friendship with Muir ended. The dam was approved in 1913.

Standing between a tree named for Pinchot in a forest named for Muir, which side would you have taken?

Getting here: Continue a short way up the Main Trail through Founders Grove; look for the Pinchot Tree and its sign beside the boardwalk.

Did you know?: The Sierra Club, which dedicated this tree to Pinchot, was founded by John Muir, who later fought Pinchot over Hetch Hetchy.

Photo op: Have someone stand at the base of the trunk for scale and shoot from a few steps back, low and angled up, to show how wide it really is.

Nearby: None along this stretch; the nearest restrooms are at the entrance.

More on Wikipedia: Gifford Pinchot · John Muir · Hetch Hetchy · Raker Act

Pinchot Tree - A Friendship Tested

Stops on this tour