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Photograph of Tharp's Log
Photograph by Stuart Orford, CC BY-SA 2.0. Via Wikimedia Commons.

Tharp's Log

Built in 1861 (rustic architecture). Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. 13 historic topographic surveys show this location, the earliest from 1903.

From the record

“Tharp's Log is a hollowed giant sequoia log at Log Meadow in the Giant Forest grove of Sequoia National Park that was used as a shelter by early pioneers. Tharp, who was described as the first Non-Native American to enter the Giant Forest.”

Wikipedia article Tharp's Log, CC BY-SA 4.0.

One of 35 National Register listings published here for Tulare County · listed in 1977 · category: Building · built in 1861, rustic architecture.

Sources: the Wikipedia article · the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service · the Wikipedia article

The listing

  • What is counted as historic. The nomination lists 1 building as contributing to the listing.
  • Address. NE of Three Rivers, Three Rivers, 93262
  • When was it listed? March 1977
  • Category. building
  • Census division. Woodlake-Three Rivers
  • When was it built? 1861
  • Architectural style. rustic architecture
  • National Register reference number. 77000117 - the number the National Park Service assigned this property when it was listed, and the key its nomination file is catalogued under at the National Archives.

Fires near this property

151 since 1992

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 151 fires within 5 miles of Tharp's Log between 1992 and 2020, burning about 5,455 acres in total. 62 started naturally. 3 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause Fires
Natural62
Recreation and ceremony41
Missing data/not specified/undetermined15
Equipment and vehicle use13
Debris and open burning8
Smoking5
Arson/incendiarism3
Power generation/transmission/distribution2
Fireworks1
Misuse of fire by a minor1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
9 September 2011Recreation and ceremonyunder an acreSequoia & Kings Canyon National ParksMARBLE
6 September 1998Naturalunder an acreSequoia & Kings Canyon National ParksSEVENMILE
6 September 1998Naturalunder an acreSequoia & Kings Canyon National ParksMEHRTEN
5 September 1998Naturalunder an acreSequoia & Kings Canyon National ParksPANTHER
4 September 2003Natural4.0 acresSequoia & Kings Canyon National ParksBUCKEYE
30 September 2016Recreation and ceremonyunder an acreSequoia & Kings Canyon National ParksWOVERTON 2
3 September 1998Natural1.0 acresCentral California DistrictCASE
3 September 1995Naturalunder an acreSequoia & Kings Canyon National ParksTOKOPAH

Every fire recorded in Tulare County

Mines and quarries near this property

4 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 4 workings within 5 miles of Tharp's Log: 2 occurrences, 2 unknowns. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Copper, Tungsten, Mercury. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Sequoia NationalMercuryUnknown
Sequoia National ParkTungstenOccurrenceScheelite
Copper QueenCopperUnknown
Copper QueenCopperOccurrenceVein

Every working recorded in Tulare County

Storms near this property

21 since 2001

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Three Rivers, the town this property stands in, in 21 storm reports between 2001 and 2025: 15 flood, 2 wildfire, 2 heavy rain, 1 flash flood. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
October 2003WildfireThree Rivers$1,540,000The Paradise 2 Fire was lightning ignited at 2300 PST on September 25th and had previously been reported as part of the Kaweah-Kern Complex in September Stormdata. By the end of October this specific fire had consumed 1,298 acres at a cost of $1.54M.
January 2023FloodThree Rivers$1,000,000The Tulare County Emergency Manager reported that the town of Three Rivers was trapped behind flood waters moving over the egress route. This resulted in several emergency response personnel being trapped behind the flood waters who were in place to limit flood waters impact on structures.
October 2009Heavy RainThree Rivers$5,000The California Highway Patrol reported power lines and poles downed due to heavy rain near the intersection of South Fork Dr and Blossom Dr near Three Rivers.
October 2025FloodThree Rivers-CHP Reports rock slide at junction of Eastbound Route 198 and Horse Creek Campground.
January 2023FloodThree Rivers-Public report of the roadway flooded and rock and mudslides on eastbound SR 198 near Dinely Rd. and Craig Branch Rd.
January 2023FloodThree Rivers-California Highway Patrol reported the bridge flooded on N. Fork Dr. near SR 198.
January 2023FloodThree Rivers-California Highway Patrol reported flooding on S. Fork Dr. at Heidi Dr. in Three Rivers.
March 2023FloodThree Rivers-California Highway Patrol reported on SR 198 at Sierra Dr.
March 2023FloodThree Rivers-California Highway Patrol reported flooding, rocks and debris on SR 198 east of Encina Ave. in Three Rivers.
March 2023FloodThree Rivers-California Highway Patrol reported flooding on SR 198 west of Pierce Dr.
March 2023FloodThree Rivers-California Highway Patrol reported SR 198 flooded in Three Rivers.
January 2017Flash FloodThree Rivers-California Highway Patrol reports mud slide and boulders blocking Mineral King Road near Three Rivers.
January 2017Debris FlowThree Rivers-California Highway Patrol report of mud, dirt, and rock partially blocking Mineral King Road and Highway 198 intersection near Hammond. Traffic was able to move around the obstruction.
January 2017FloodThree Rivers-California Highway Patrol reported flooding on Highway 198 and water flowing over Airport Drive and Upper North Fork bridges in Three Rivers.
January 2017FloodThree Rivers-Tulare County Official reported that the bridge at Kaweah River Drive was closed due to flooding northeast of Three Rivers.
January 2017FloodThree Rivers-California Highway Patrol reported roadway flooding on Highway 198 and Craig Ranch Road northeast of Three Rivers.
February 2017FloodThree Rivers-California Highway Patrol reported debris blocking roadway due to recent roadway flooding from heavy rain on Mineral King Road near Mitchel Ranch near Oak Grove.
April 2010Heavy RainThree Rivers-The rainfall for the 24 hour period was 2.09 inches.
November 2003WildfireThree Rivers-The Paradise 2 Fire was lightning ignited at 2300 PST on September 25th and had previously been reported as part of the Kaweah-Kern Complex in September Stormdata. By the first of November this specific fire had consumed 1,298 acres at a cost of $1.54M and accounted for in earlier months.
April 2006FloodThree Rivers-no account filed
November 2001FloodThree Rivers-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Tulare County

Maps showing this location

13 surveys

United States Geological Survey topographic sheets whose coverage includes this point. Matched by taking the coordinate the National Park Service records for this property, then testing that coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet.

Listed places nearby

6 within 8 miles

Other National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.

Photograph PropertyDistance Listed
Squatter's Cabin0.6 miles1977
Cattle Cabin1.0 miles1977
Giant Forest Lodge Historic District1.4 miles1978
Moro Rock Stairway1.7 miles1978
Moro Rock Stairway1.7 miles1978
Giant Forest Village-Camp Kaweah Historic District1.8 miles1978

Sources for this property

National Archives recordThe nomination case file for reference 77000117 in Record Group 79.
Wikipedia articleCommunity-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA.
Tulare CountyAll 35 listed properties in this county.

Provenance

  • Listing record. National Park Service National Register of Historic Places, listed-properties dataset, current to 2026-05-22.
  • Map join. Address geocoded through the United States Census geocoder, then tested against the published boundary of every sheet in the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection.
  • How this page is made. Listing fields come from federal records; map-sheet coverage is a labelled coordinate-to-boundary calculation, not a source-field claim.
  • Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
  • Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
  • Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.