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 tract containing 54 mature Giant Sequoia trees, the largest concentration of giant sequoias in the Sierra National Forest. The grove also contains several historical points of interest, including pioneer cabins and giant sequoia stumps left by 19th century loggers.

Before European Americans arrived, there were 400 mature sequoias in Nelder Grove, but the population has seen several steep declines since then. About 70% of the mature trees were cut during the late 19th century timber era.: 3  Despite federal protection in the 20th century, the population of sequoias has been further impacted by decades of fire exclusion, with 38 trees killed in the Railroad Fire of 2017. Currently, only 60 mature specimens remain in the grove.