Whitaker Forest Drive is an approximately 13-mile rural highway located in the Sierra Nevada range of Tulare County. Whitaker Forest Drive begins at California State Route 245 at the community of Badger. From Badger the course of Whitaker Forest Road is maintained as Tulare County Mountain Road 465 for nine miles to the end of the pavement near Eshom Creek Campground.
From the end of the pavement Whitaker Forest Drive is maintained as Sequoia National Forest Road 14S75 through the University of California's Whitaker Forest to the Kings Canyon National Park boundary at Redwood Saddle. Within Kings Canyon National Park the name of Whitaker Forest Drive changes to Redwood Canyon Road and ascends approximately another 2 miles past Redwood Mountain to Generals Highway.
Whitaker Forest Drive and Redwood Canyon were both developed as an access road during the late 19th century to the ranch of Horace Whitaker. The Whitaker Ranch Road originally extended east of Redwood Mountain to a mine at Big Meadow Creek. In 1893 the Redwood Mountain Grove of Sequoias would be designated as part of the Sierra Forest Reserve and would be later transferred to Sequoia National Forest in 1908. Horace Whitaker would donate 320 acres of Sequoia strew property to the University of California in 1910 for preservation purposes as the so-called "Whitaker Forest."
In 1940 General Grant National Park would be expanded and renamed as Kings Canyon National Park. The Redwood Mountain Grove was added to the expanded boundaries of Kings Canyon National Park. The 1940-era Kings Canyon National Park boundary is now where Whitaker Forest Drive becomes Redwood Canyon Road. Redwood Canyon Road has been inaccessible to the general public since the Redwood Mountain Grove was damaged by the 2021 KNP Complex Fire.
Whitaker Forest Drive and Redwood Canyon Road permit access to Redwood Mountain via Whitaker Forest. Redwood Mountain lies at an elevation of approximately 6,430 feet above sea level in the Sierra Nevada range of Tulare County. Redwood Mountain is where the Redwood Mountain Grove of Giant Sequoia Trees is located. The Redwood Mountain Grove is the largest Sequoia Grove and is home to some of the largest trees by volume.
The Redwood Mountain Grove was largely spared from serious logging efforts during the late 19th century as it was located south of Millwood and Converse Basin. The Kings River Lumber Company had been established in 1888 in the form of a 30,000-acre purchase of forest lands in Converse Basin. This purchase lied immediately west of Grant Grove and came to be known as "Millwood."
The lands south of Millwood in the area that is now Badger developed largely around ranching properties during early Statehood in California. What is now Whitaker Forest was once owned by Horace Whitaker. Whitaker was born in Connecticut in 1830 and emigrated to California in 1850 amid the height of the Gold Rush. He would later relocate to Tulare County where he became a prolific rancher.
Much of Horace Whitaker's ranching holdings were obtained from the early 1870s through the 1880s. Whitaker owned property from near Orosi northeast through the Badger area to the vicinity of Redwood Mountain. The roadway northeast from Badger to the Whitaker Ranch holdings would form the basis for Whitaker Forest Drive and Redwood Canyon Road.
The Kings River Lumber Company originally planned on constructing a railroad from Sanger to Converse Basin. The rugged terrain of Kings Canyon proved too formidable of an engineering challenge construction of a railroad grade. This led to the Kings River Lumber Company beginning construction on the 54-mile Sanger Log Flume. The flume was complete months prior to the establishment of General Grant National Park and Sequoia National Park in mid-year 1890. The logging operations around Converse Basin led to movements to preserve the Redwood Sequoia groves.
The Whitaker Ranch Road can be seen branching from Millwood Drive (now California State Route 245) in Badger on the 1892 Thompson Atlas of Tulare County in Township 15 South, Range 27 East.
The Redwood Mountain Grove was excluded from the boundaries of early General Grant National Park. The Redwood Mountain Grove was later added to the Sierra Forest Reserve which was established on February 14, 1893, by then President Benjamin Harris. The grove would become part of Sequoia National Forest on July 1, 1908.
The Whitaker Ranch Road can be seen on the 1905 United States Geological Survey map of Tehipite. The roadway is shown to continue east of Whitaker property and Redwood Mountain towards a mine on Big Meadow Creek.
On July 26, 1910, Horace Whitaker donated 320 acres of his ranching lands near Redwood Mountain to the University of California board of regents. This property transfer was documented in the August 18, 1910, Hanford Sentinel. A stipulation of the property transfer was that no Redwood Sequoia could be cut down. Additional stipulations prohibited the sale of alcohol, stock grazing and that it must be known as "Whitaker Forest."
Horace Whitaker would die in Orosi months after deeding Whitaker Forest in 1910. The University of California would take control of the Whitaker Forest property formally in 1913. Whitaker Forest contained 215 large Redwood Sequoias which were intermixed with a considerable amount of second growth trees. Whitaker's heirs would unsuccessfully sue the University of California board of regents in 1918 for perceived failure to comply with the stipulation of the property transfer put forth by Horace Whitaker (namely animal grazing).
Whitaker Forest Drive can be seen in detail on the 1935 Division of Highways map of Tulare County. The highway is shown originating in Badger at what was then California State Route 65 and extending to Big Creek Meadow via Redwood Mountain.
On June 23, 1935, Generals Highway was dedicated and opened to traffic. The then new Generals Highway connected General Grant National Park through Sequoia National Forest to the Giant Forest of Sequoia National Park. The then new Generals Highway included a junction with Whitaker Forest Drive a short distance north of Redwood Mountain.
On March 4, 1940, General Grant National Park was renamed as Kings Canyon National Park and expanded to approximately 400,000 acres via annexations of parcels from Sierra National Forest and Sequoia National Forest. The annexation included the Redwood Mountain Grove and the last two miles of Whitaker Forest Drive which was renamed as Redwood Canyon Road. A National Park Service Sequoia guard station was established west of the Kings Canyon National Park boundary within Whitaker Forest.
The 1948 United States Geological Survey map displays the expanded boundaries of Kings Canyon National Park. Whitaker Forest Drive can be seen giving way to Redwood Canyon Road at the National Park boundary.
The 1956 United States Geological Survey map of the Giant Forest displays Whitaker Forest Drive and Redwood Canyon Road in greater detail. Whitaker Forest Drive within Whitaker Forest was assigned as part of Forest Road 14S75 and was never paved beyond the end of Tulare County maintenance. The Tulare County owned portion of Whitaker Forest Drive came to be designated as Tulare County Mountain Road 465.
The Forest Service portion of Whitaker Forest Drive and Redwood Canyon Road were never paved. This was likely due to the combined corridor allowing access to Generals Highway without passing through a National Park Service entrance station. Both roadways have been traditionally signed as Four Wheel Drive/High Clearance-only. At times the corridor has been accessible to low clearance vehicles.
The Redwood Mountain Grove was severely damaged by the KNP Complex Fire which began on September 9, 2021, and ended on December 16, 2021. The fire spanned 88,307 acres and killed an estimated 1,300-2,400 Redwood Sequoias. The southern quarter of the Redwood Mountain Grove was the segment most affected as it was hit with intense fires. Redwood Canyon Road has remained inaccessible to the general public since the KNP Complex Fire.
Part 2; a drive on Whitaker Forest Drive
Northbound Whitaker Forest Drive begins at California State Route 245 in Badger. Eshom Valley and Hartland Camp are both signed as being accessible via Whitaker Forest Drive. The first nine miles of Whitaker Forest Drive are maintained as Tulare County Mountain Road 465.
Whitaker Forest Drive departs Badger and intersects Hogback Drive.
As Whitaker Forest Drive approaches Eshom Valley Drive traffic bound for Hartland Camp is directed to turn right. Eshom Campground traffic is directed to continue north of Whitaker Forest Drive.
Whitaker Forest Drive descends slightly and crosses Dry Creek.
Upon crossing Dry Creek traffic on Whitaker Forest Drive is advised snow is not removed beyond the bridge.
Whitaker Forest Drive begins a northward climb through switchbacks which pass into the boundary of Sequoia National Forest to the opposite terminus of Eshom Valley Drive. The climb begins at approximately 3,000 feet above sea level and crests at about 4,600 feet. Several of the switchbacks have been patched repaired by Tulare County with dirt over asphalt.
Eshom Campground is signed as two miles from the junction of Whitaker Forest Drive and Eshom Valley Drive.
Whitaker Forest Drive climbs above 5,000 feet above sea level and enters Whitaker Forest. The roadway crosses over Eshom Creek amid a small cluster of young Sequoia trees.
The asphalt on Whitaker Forest Drive gives way at the end of Tulare County maintenance near the Eshom Campground turnoff. Signage for the Forest Road 14S75 section of Whitaker Forest Drive indicates it is passable to only high clearance four-wheel drive vehicles.
Part 3; a drive on Redwood Canyon Road prior to the KNP Complex Fire
These photos of southbound Redwood Canyon Road are from July 2020 prior to the KNP Complex Fire. At the time the two-mile descent to from Generals Highway to the Redwood Canyon Trailhead was rough but passable to low clearance vehicles. Redwood Canyon Road becomes Whitaker Forest Drive just beyond the Redwood Canyon Trailhead. This transition of road names occurs at the Kings Canyon National Park boundary.
Part 4; a hike in the Redwood Mountain Grove prior to the KNP Complex Fire
These photos were taken from the Redwood Mountain Grove during July 2020 prior to the KNP Complex Fire. These photos are from the Redwood Canyon Trailhead parking area.
These photos are of scenery on the hike to the Hart Tree. The Hart Tree was discovered approximately around 1880 and is named after Michael Hart. The tree was thought to once be the fourth largest Sequoia, but modern measurements has placed it as the twenty-fourth largest.
A bit of unfortunate irony with the sign in front of the Hart Tree which described why prescribed burns are necessary.
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