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Redwood Drive (Tulare County Mountain Road 216) to the Stagg Tree

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Redwood Drive is an approximately 7.3-mile highway located in the Sierra Nevada range of Tulare County.  The highway connects California State Route 190 near Camp Nelson to the Stagg Tree Trail in the Alder Creek Grove of Redwood Sequoias.  Much of Redwood Drive is maintained as part of Tulare County Mountain Road 216. 

The Stagg Tree is the fifth largest Sequoia by volume.  The tree was observed in the Alder Creek Grove in 1931 and was originally called the Day Tree.  Between 1944-1946 the Rouch family would purchase much of the Alder Creek Grove for logging interests and would construct a switchback road from Camp Wishon.  Logging in the Alder Creek Grove was unprofitable and the Rouch family would subdivide their land in 1955 into what become the Sequoia Crest community.  Tulare County would construct Redwood Drive to serve the then new community. 

The Day Tree would be renamed as the "Stagg Tree" in 1960 in honor of Amos Alonzo Stagg.  The Alder Creek Grove and Sequoia Crest were both heavily damaged during the Castle Fire of 2020.  The Stagg Tree was saved from damage due to a sprinkler system being put in place by firefighting crews.   




Part 1; the history of the Stagg Tree and Redwood Drive

What is now called the Stagg Tree lies in the Alder Creek Grove of Giant Sequoias.  Initially travel to the Alder Creek Grove was by way of a branch of the Wishon Trail from the North Fork of the Middle Fork Tule River east along Alder Creek.  The trail followed an established path used by the Yaudanchi which came known to American settlers following the 1853 Kern River Gold Rush.  The Wishon Trail was extensively surveyed by Dr. Samuel George of out of Porterville which led to the discovery of the Wishon Copper Mines.  The trail was featured heavily in early 1860s newspaper articles due to it being used as a crossing to Owens Valley and the Mountain Home Grove of Sequoias. 

During the first decade of the Twentieth Century the Pacific Gas and Eletric Company (PG&E) began construction of a flume along the Wishon Trail.  The flume was intended to deliver water to site of the Tule River Powerhouse.  By 1907 PG&E would expand much of the lower Wishon Trail into a roadway (now Wishon Drive/Mountain Road 208) which led to the company-owned construction town of Camp Wishon.  The Tule Powerhouse would be completed by PG&E in 1914. 

What is now called the Stagg Tree was noticed by L. Day in 1931 while traversing the Alder Creek Grove.  The tree was measured officially and found to be fifth largest Sequoia in 1932.  Initially the Sequoia was called the "Day Tree."

In 1944 and 1946 much of the Alder Creek Grove would be purchased by the Rouch family for logging.  Sonny Rouch would construct a switchback road east from Camp Wishon to access the Alder Creek Grove (now Sequoia National Forest 20S03/Fox Farm Road).  The Alder Creek Grove was logged into the early 1950s, but it found to be an unprofitable venture due to the brittle nature of the wood.  

The switchback road from Camp Wishon east to the Rouch property in the Alder Creek Grove can be seen on the 1956 United States Geological Survey map of Camp Nelson.  


In 1955 the Rouch family would plot the Sequoia Crest subdivision out of 200 acres of their land holdings at the Alder Creek Grove.  The family would construct a water system throughout the subdivision.  Tulare County would construct Redwood Drive north of California State Route 190 near Camp Nelson to serve as modernized ingress corridor.  Redwood Drive in modern times is maintained as Tulare County Mountain Road 216.  

In 1960 the Day Tree would be renamed as the "Stagg Tree."  The name is intended to honor University of Chicago football coach Amos Alonzo Stagg.  Stagg spent much of his final decades coaching teams in Stockton.  The Stagg Tree is thought to be over 3,000 years old and is one of the longest-lived Sequoia trees. 

Modern Redwood Drive can be seen in detail on the 1978 United States Geological Survey map of Camp Nelson.  The earlier Rouch family switchback road can be seen still connecting Sequoia Crest and the Alder Creek Grove to Camp Wishon.  This switchback road is now signed as a fire evacuation route from Sequoia Crest. 


In September 2019 the Save the Redwood League announced it would be purchasing 530 acres of the Rouch family plot in the Alder Creek Grove.  The purchase included the Stagg Tree and is intended to be eventually turned over Forest Service as part of Giant Sequoia National Monument.  On September 13, 2020, the Castle Fire swept through the Alder Creek Grove and killed over 200 mature Sequoia Trees.  The fire also destroyed 46 of the 102 homes in Sequoia Crest.  The Stagg Tree survived the fire due to sprinklers being placed at the base by firefighting crews.  



Part 2; traveling Redwood Drive to visit the Stagg Tree

Northbound Redwood Drive begins at California State Route 190 near Camp Nelson.  




After about four miles Redwood Drive intersects Alpine Drive which provides access to Alpine Village.  


















Redwood Drive climbs north from Alpine Village and narrows to a single lane upon entering Sequoia Crest.  The entrance to Sequoia Crest is marked by a large marque. 











The way ahead towards the Stagg Tree is marked by unique cutout shields past the Sequoia Crest marque. 


The Tulare County maintained portion of Redwood Drive terminates at Alder Drive.  The asphalt gives way to a gravel surface as Redwood Drive continues onto the Rouch property. 











Redwood Drive ends at a gate near Chinquapin Drive.  Hikers are advised they can park at the gate and hike through the Rouch property to the Stagg Tree during daylight hours.  








The Stagg Tree Trail follows a road through the Rouch property and branches off towards the South Fork of Alder Creek after about a third of a mile.  




















The trail descends down to the Stagg Tree.  This Sequoia is 243 feet tall and has a 109-foot circumference at the ground.  







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