[T]he ground beneath them is a garden of fresh, exuberant ferns, lilies, gaultheria, and rhododendron. – John Muir, “The American Forests,” August 1897

No nobler monuments of our love for beauty can be erected than to preserve these oldest and biggest trees in the world and these tallest trees in America. – French Strother, “Saving the Big Trees: The Need of Further National, Stat

But more impressive than the facts and figures as to height, width, age, etc., are the entrancing beauty and tranquility that pervade the forest, the feelings of peace, awe and reverence that it inspires. – George McDonald, Dollarwise Guide to California and Las Vegas, 1983, about Muir