In late 1974, a small cluster of giant sequoia saplings were planted by the United States Forest Service in the San Jacinto Mountains of Southern California in the immediate aftermath of the Soboba Fire that left the landscape barren.

The giant sequoias were rediscovered in 2008 by botanist Rudolf Schmid and his daughter Mena Schmidt while hiking on Black Mountain Trail through Hall Canyon.

Black Mountain Grove is home to over 150 giant sequoias, some of which stand over 20 m (66 ft) tall.

[3] Black Mountain Grove is dominated by young giant sequoias and Jeffery pine, largely supplanting the native white fir-sugar pine forest present at higher elevations prior to the Soboba Fire.

By contrast, the incense cedar forest present at lower elevations has since rebounded and now co-exists with the giant sequoias at the southern end of the grove.