Module 3: Cutting to the Chase – Producing and Editing a Narrative and Field Production (Weeks 5 & 6)

“God never made an ugly landscape. All that the sun shines on is beautiful, so long as it is wild.”

— John Muir.  

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park is a little over an hour drive from Fresno, California. A mile past the entrance is the road to Panoramic Point, a wheelchair-accessible easy  half-mile loop that takes about 15 minutes to complete.  

Since the 1890s, this region has attracted artists, poets, and conservationists and nature lovers.

Today, over one and a half million visitors come each year to experience its unique beauty. 

During WWII, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks merged and together encompass 1,300 square miles of wilderness.

A mile northwest of Panoramic lies the General Grant Tree Trail.

There lives the first protected living organisms: the giant sequoias- Sequoiadendron Giganteum —Land of the Giants.

The General is the second largest Sequoia in the world, standing 267 feet tall, measuring 108 feet around its base,  and is estimated to be over 1600 years old.  and in 1926, president Calvin Coolidge declared it the Nation’s Christmas Tree. 

The General Grant Tree Trail is a short, paved 1/3-mile loop that winds past other impressive sights like the Centennial Stump, the Fallen Monarch, Gamlin Cabin, and many more Giant Sequoias.

Whether you’re seeking breathtaking views, peaceful strolls, or the awe of standing among the world’s largest trees, Sequoia and Kings Canyon have something to offer. In just a day trip, you can escape the ordinary and feel as though you’ve left space and time behind, fully immersed in this majestic landscape.