October 2026

We invite you to stay involved with community events by attending the monthly JMNC Board meetings and the monthly Communities of the Giant Sequoias Board meetings. There will be a Halloween children’s party at the Fire Station and lower meadow on Friday, October 30.
There are two projects at the Conservancy Yard happening right now. Public restrooms are being built behind the Conservancy Garage, and a 20’X20’ covered patio/gazebo is being built by volunteers on the north side of the yard. You are welcome to come and take a look at our progress.
The Belknap Complex is a group of three Giant Sequoia Groves located in the Tule River watershed of the Giant Sequoia National Monument in the western Sierra Nevada Mountains, just southeast of Camp Nelson, California. It is formed by the McIntyre Grove, Wheel Meadow Grove, and the Carr Wilson Grove. The complex is home to a great collection of old-growth giant sequoias spread out over about 4,700 acres, mostly in a wilderness area with very little logging history.
The most logging from 1922 until the 1940s was near Belknap Campground, Belknap Creek, and McIntyre Creek near the Tule River. Early-day roads to Camp Nelson and Belknap Campground didn’t occur until 1922. You can see evidence of early-day sequoia logging around Belknap and upstream along the river. Most logging operations in the Tule River canyon consisted of carrying large “rounds” or “chunks” of sequoia redwoods. Early roads and early trucks could not haul long logs. Chunks of large sequoias were transported down the mountain to be made into redwood
roofing shingles, small boards, etc.
During the Castle/SQF wildfire of 2020, a large percentage of the complex was subject to a high-intensity forest fire. The most noteworthy tree in the grove was the Patriarch Tree with a volume of 30,020 cubic feet. The Patriarch was unusually short for a giant sequoia but had a trunk with an impressive 72 feet diameter. The tree was destroyed in the 2020 fire. The Near Gutless Tree, with a volume of 26,737 cubic feet, is now the largest tree in the three groves.

The Meadow Trail begins at the gate by Nelson Drive and Smith Drive. Go inside the gate and follow the signs around the meadow for a half-mile stroll. There is a bench at the high side of the trail for your comfort. If you bring your dogs to the meadow, please clean up their mess and do not let dogs chase the deer. Thank you.

Did you know? When we think about mosquitoes, the females are the ones causing all of your troublesome stings. Female Mosquitoes need blood to develop their eggs, so they seek out people and animals. Males stay harmless by sipping nectar from flowers and plants.

As members of the conservancy, our common interests include the Meadow, Conservancy Yard, buildings, and the RV Park. It takes the dedication of volunteers who serve willingly to ensure that we preserve and maintain these areas for the enjoyment and use of the community and visitors.
Thank you to everyone who continuously serves. If you are interested in helping, contact any JMNC Board Member. We work closely with Communities of the Giant Sequoias, Volunteer Fire Department, Camp Nelson Women’s Club, Camp Nelson Chapel, and the local businesses to promote all the communities in the Upper Tule area.

The John M. Nelson Conservancy is a California 501-C3 Public Benefit Corporation, and your donation is deductible on Federal and State income tax returns; ID #68-0066225. It is hoped that you feel we are an organization worthy of your support. You may make a donation on our website
(johnmnelsonconservancy.org) or mail your donation to:

801 Highway 190, Box 110, Springville, CA, 93265.

Should you have any questions, please contact any Board Member listed on the website contact page.

The Camp Nelson RV Park is open all fall, usually until there is a good amount of snow. If you have friends or relatives that enjoy RVing/camping, invite them to make their reservations for the
upcoming months. Call 559.542.2471 for information. Also, visit “Camp Nelson RV Park, CA” on Facebook.

We invite you to check the current weather conditions in real time by using the Weather Underground app on your smartphone or go to www.wunderground.com on your computer. Our station’s designation is “KCACAMPN10”.

Visit our website to volunteer, make a donation, read the monthly Conservancy Article, buy a memorial brick, or purchase a copy of “The Tule River Middle Fork and its People” written by Malcolm Sillars. Read about the Tule River communities on the Middle Fork and see for yourself the history of
this wonderful mountain home for many people.

Here is an excerpt from Chapter Nine of the book for your enjoyment:
Chapter Nine: Kramer’s Sheep Meadow, Quaking Aspen, and Pete’s Ponderosa.
“Two small lakes, a dining hall, and floored tents were constructed the first year, primarily with volunteer labor from Friends churches. Camps began to be held in 1940 and have been held every summer since that time. Although the main purpose was to provide for youth activities, a wide variety of camps are held for all age groups, including families and seniors. Camps vary from three days to a week, including a backpack trip to Maggie Lakes as well as smaller winter camps. Up to 1,000 campers use Quaker Meadow Camp each year. Other non-profit groups also use the camp from time to time.”

”There was extensive damage to the camp in the big snow of 1968-69, as there was snow all over the area, and an extensive effort had to be made to rebuild in time for the next summer season. New facilities have been added over the years. Now there is a chapel, dining room, store, swimming pool, two lakes, volleyball court, ball diamond, campfire circle, and a dozen or so staff and campers' cabins. Campers come to the camp by bus and go back home the same way. Some days one can see as many as five commercial buses on Highway 190 going to or from Quaker Meadow Camp.”
Page 130.

For more current information and events, you can follow us on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/jmnconservancy

We invite you to attend our monthly Board meetings on the second Saturday of each month at 8:00 AM in the Conservancy building, 388 Smith Drive, Camp Nelson.
The next meeting is October 10, 2026.

Check out the web page at;
www.johnmnelsonconservancy.org
Mailing Address: 801 Hwy 190, Box 110, Springville, CA 93265
Respectfully Submitted, October 2026.
Dan McFadzean, Director, JMNC.

Email: mcfadzeand@yahoo.com; phone.661.978.4679