Before 2011, the exact location of the Grove of Titans — a cluster of incredibly old, incredibly massive California redwoods, some 26 feet in diameter — was a mystery. But thanks to some internet sleuths, the location of the grove in uppermost Northern California is now well-publicized, and as a result, the grove now faces a threat that many park rangers feared would someday come: a crush of tourists.

According to a New York Times story on the grove, hikers would come and visit the Grove of Titans, near Crescent City, and in doing so they would walk on the soil that rested atop the redwoods' delicate roots. This threatens the trees, as the soil becomes more and more compacted as more and more hikers pass through the area.

To protect the roots and the forest floor, park rangers are hoping to raise $1.4 million to construct a Muir Woods-style wooden boardwalk that would allow tourists to walk through the grove without doing this trampling. Unfortunately, the Times reports that state funding is slow in coming, and much of the fundraising is being done by the Redwood Parks Conservancy, a non-profit.

Similar walkways have been established around other gigantic redwoods, including "The Big Tree" in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. There, a platform wraps around a tall redwood, allowing visitors to completely around it without adversely affecting the soil.

How tourists came to discover the Grove of Titans is an interesting story, as well. The way the New York Times tells it, a book about "tall tree hunters" left behind some clues as to the grove's location. It was known that the grove was located in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, but an exact location was never given and no marked trail leads you there. Once the internet got on the case though, it was only a matter of time until that secret came to light.

One supervising ranger, Brett Silver, says he's mystified as to why people want to come to that particular grove. He told the New York Times, "There are just as impressive trees on other trails in the park. That’s my thing." But then he goes on to hazard a guess as to why, saying, "But those trees don’t have names. I mean, Grove of Titans, that’s an impressive name."

Related: One Woman's Campaign To Landmark A Redwood Tree On Lombard Street Ends In Triumph