United States : The giant sequoias of Yosemite Park enter the era of ecoresponsible tourism

The forest with its centuries-old trees is once again open to visitors, after three years of redevelopment of its reception infrastructures. An operation that resulted in the removal of more than 6,000 square metres of bitumen in order to preserve the roots of the sequoias.

As The New York Times points out, the forest is one of the main attractions of this tourist mecca, which attracts 5 million visitors each year. « In the summer, on very busy days, more than 7,000 cars converge on the park, » the daily explains.
An affluence that threatened to disrupt the sequoia ecosystem, whose roots extend and intertwine up to 60 metres from the trunk.

The Mariposa Giant Redwood Forest in California’s Yosemite Nature Park is home to 500 of these trees, some of which began growing in the time of Jesus Christ 2000 years ago.
The giant sequoias, nearly 100 metres high, can live for more than 3000 years. Their bark is resistant to insects and has protected them from countless forest fires for millennia.

But tourists were threatening each other, the site being only four hours drive from San Francisco, in one of the most visited parks in the United States.

The removal of the large parking lot and its asphalt will allow water to flow more naturally and tree roots to grow without stress.
More than six kilometres of paths have been laid out, with wooden pontoons over more fragile areas, which also allow disabled visitors to enjoy the site.
Free shuttles take tourists to the heart of the sequoias from a new visitor centre three kilometres away.

One of the attractions is the California Tunnel Tree: a tunnel drilled into the trunk of a tree, which has survived to this day.

At nightfall, the park does not close. The road is reopened to cars and visitors can go to the small parking lot to explore the site under the stars.