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Sequoia & King's Canyon Recr'n Map

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks - California

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Sequoia is the second oldest national park in the United States. It was established in 1890 to protect the Big Trees in Giant Forest, including the General Sherman Tree, the world's largest living thing. Sequoia also contains the Mineral King Valley and Mt. Whitney, the highest mountain in the US outside of Alaska.

A small portion of what is now Kings Canyon was originally set aside in 1890 as General Grant National Park. In 1940, General Grant was absorbed into the new and larger Kings Canyon National Park which eventually grew to include the South Fork of the Kings River and 456,552 acres of backcountry wilderness.

If you are planning a visit to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, please check the bulletin board for information on closures or other conditions which might affect your visit.

Park Details

Location Information
Operating Hours/Seasons
Reservations/Permits/Fees
Climate, Recommended
Clothing
Facilities and Opportunities
(including trails, camping, concessions)
Recommended Activities
Visitation
Special Events Programs
Adjacent Visitor Attractions
Additional Information



Location Information

Location:
Fresno and Tulare Co., CA

Address:
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
Three Rivers, CA 93271-9700

Telephone:
Recorded information/weather/road conditions: (209) 565-3341
Recorded backcountry information: (209) 565-3708

Directions:
There are no roads into Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks from the east side. Highway 180 leads to Kings Canyon National Park from Fresno, California. Highway 198 leads to Sequoia from the town of Visalia. The Generals Highway connects the two, making loop trips possible. Construction is underway to repair this historic road. Efforts will be made to minimize the impact this project will have on your visit, but be advised that you may encounter delays of up to 20 minutes as you enter Sequoia from Highway 198.

The 16-mile stretch of road from Ash Mountain to Giant Forest contains 130 curves and 12 switchbacks. This road is not recommended for vehicles over 22 feet in length. Larger vehicles wishing to visit the Giant Forest, please take Highway 180 to Grant Grove and proceed south on the Generals Highway. If you are coming from the south and wish to enter the park via Highway 180, we recommend taking Highway 63 from Highway 198 in Visalia. Highway 245, which joins 180 and 198 near the town of Lemon Cove, is a narrow, winding road, and will not save time compared to Highway 63.

Cedar Grove is located in the canyon of the South Fork of the Kings River. To reach Cedar Grove, continue east on Highway 180 from Grant Grove. Allow 1 hour to drive the 30 miles from Grant to Cedar Grove. Highway 180 ends 7 miles east of Cedar Grove at Road's End. There are no roads across the Sierras to Highway 395 through Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.
Cedar Grove is closed in the winter.

Mineral King is accessible only by a long, slow road which branches off of Highway 198 east of the town of Three Rivers. This 25-mile long road contains 698 curves. Allow 2 hours to reach Mineral King from Highway 198. This road is not recommended for trailers and RVs.
Mineral King is closed in the winter.

Access to both parks is along steep mountain roads with sharp drop-offs on one side. For your safety, please use turn-outs to allow faster-moving vehicles to pass. Downshift to prevent a burned-out transmission when going uphill and burned out brakes on the downgrade. In automatic cars, put the gear shift on 1 or 2. The engine will get louder as it works to slow you down, but it will save the brakes.

Transportation:

To Park: Public transportation to the parks is limited to commercial tour companies. Transportation to Fresno and Visalia, where rental cars are available, is provided by air, bus and Amtrak.

In Park: Personal vehicle and bicycle (roads only, bicycles are not allowed on park trails). During the summer months, a shuttle is available in Sequoia National Park between Giant Forest, Lodgepole, Moro Rock and Crescent Meadow.

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Operating Hours/Seasons

The park is open 24 hours a day, year-round. The roads to Mineral King (Sequoia National Park) and Cedar Grove (Kings Canyon) close in late fall and reopen in spring.

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Reservations/Permits/Fees

Fees, Costs, Rates:
Entrance fees are: Family Pass, good for seven days in both parks: $10.00 per vehicle or $5.00 per person for cyclists and walk-ins. Annual Pass, good for entrance to Sequoia and Kings Canyon for the calendar year: $20. Golden Eagle Passes are $50 and cover entrance fees at all national parks for a period of 12 months. Golden Age and Golden Access honored. Commercial Tour Fees available on request.

Reservations/Permits:
Most campgrounds in Sequoia and Kings Canyon are first come-first served. Lodgepole Campground in Sequoia is on a reservation system from Memorial Day through mid-October. Reservations are available through DESTINET at 1-800-365-CAMP (2267). Group campsites in Grant Grove, Cedar Grove, and Dorst Campground (Sequoia) are available by mail-in reservation only.

Backcountry permits can be reserved up to three weeks before the start of your trip. A backcountry permit is required for all camping outside designated sites.

Fishing is permitted in most parts of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, and on adjacent national forests. Persons 16 years of age or older are required to have a California fishing license. Licenses and tackle are available at Lodgepole, Stony Creek, Grant Grove and Cedar Grove.

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Climate, Recommended Clothing

John Muir called the Sierra Nevada a "gentle wilderness," which it is indeed! Deep snow often covers the middle elevations from December to May, but sub-zero temperatures are rare. Precipitation falls mostly between January and mid-May, but thunderstorms, rain and even snow can occur at any time of year.

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Facilities and Opportunities

Visitor Center/Exhibits:
The Ash Mountain and Grant Grove Visitor Centers are open all year. The Cedar Grove Visitor Center, located at the bottom of the Kings Canyon, is open between mid-May and September. The Lodgepole Visitor Center will be open from mid-April to mid-October. The Mineral King Visitor Center is open June - Labor Day. Roadside exhibits along the Generals Highway and Highway 180 interpret the geology, natural and human history of the Sierra.

Trails, Roadways:
Together, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks contain 140 miles of roads, and 800 miles of trails.

Programs, Activities:
Ranger-led walks, talks and evening programs are offered throughout the year. During the summer, concessioner-operated bus tours and horseback rides are also available.

Lodging and Camping Facilities:
Lodging in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks is available through Sequoia-Kings Canyon Park Services, PO Box 909, Kings Canyon NP, CA 93633, 209-335-5500. Grant Grove Lodge in Kings Canyon is open all year. Giant Forest and Cedar Grove Lodges are open during the summer. Additional lodging is available outside the parks.

Campgrounds in Sequoia and Kings Canyon are operated by the National Park Service. In Sequoia, South Fork and the Mineral King campgrounds have pit toilets. All other campgrounds provide flush toilets. All areas except South Fork have drinking water and sanitary disposal stations. There are no hook-ups for RV's in any of the park campgrounds. Showers are available through the concessionaire. Additional campgrounds are located in the national forests adjacent to the parks.

Food, Supplies:
In the summer, meals, groceries, camping gear, fishing tackle/licenses, and ice are sold at Giant Forest, Lodgepole, Stony Creek (Sequoia National Forest), Grant Grove, and Cedar Grove. Gasoline is not available at Lodgepole and Grant Grove, but is at Hume Lake in Sequoia National Forest. Diesel fuel is also available Hume Lake.

In the winter, light snacks and souvenirs are available at Wolverton. Groceries, meals and a gift shop are available in Grant Grove.

Other Concessions, NPS Managed Visitor Facilities and Opportunities:
The Sequoia Natural History Association offers a program of Field Seminars throughout the summer. They also offer tours of Crystal Cave between May and September.

The Walter Fry Nature Center, located in Lodgepole campground, is open July - Labor Day.

Accessibility:
The Foothills, Lodgepole and Grant Grove Visitor Centers are wheel-chair accessible. Paved trails lead to the General Sherman and General Grant Trees. The Congress Trail and the Trail for All People in Giant Forest are also paved. The Ash Mountain, Hospital Rock, and Big Stump picnic areas have modified picnic tables. In the winter, accessibility in the Grant Grove and Giant Forest areas may be limited due to deep snow.

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Recommended Activities/Park Use

Viewing the giant sequoias; hiking; backpacking; horseback riding; fishing; cross-country skiing and snowshoe walks; ranger walks, talks and campfire programs.

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Visitation

Visitation in 1995 was 1.7 million for Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks combined. Visitation is heaviest in the summer, with August being the busiest month (260,150 people in 1995). Visitation is lightest in the winter (December, 1995 - 21,640 people).

Basic Visit Recommendations:
Driving time from Ash Mountain (Highway 198 entrance) to Grant Grove (Highway 180 entrance) is approximately 2 1/2 hours, not counting stops. A current road construction project between Ash Mountain and Lodgepole may affect this driving time. A side trip from Grant Grove into the Kings Canyon will take an extra 2-3 hours. First time visitors should be sure to see the General Sherman and General Grant Trees, both easily accessible from the road.

Visitor Impacts:
We often think of parks as outdoor museums, but caring for a living, changing ecosystem calls for very different actions. Some park management activities may affect your visit. You won't notice the ozone-monitoring equipment working unseen 24 hours a day, but you may see smoke from a prescribed burn. Last year's campsite might be closed for revegetation, or due to intense bear activity. These are different tools used to caretake this landscape, its inhabitants and its visitors.

Currently, the National Park Service, in cooperation with the Federal Highways Administration, is undertaking a multi-year project to rehabilitate the Generals Highway. Most work will be done on weekdays in the fall, winter and spring. Monday through Friday from 7am to 4pm the road will only be open on the hour. Visitors may browse the Foothills Visitor Center or picnic at the Ash Mountain Picnic Area across from the Visitor Center. During other times expect traffic delays of up to 20 minutes. This pattern is expected to continue into April and May.

During the winter, the Generals Highway between Lodgepole and Grant Grove may be closed due to snow.

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Special Events Programs

The second Sunday of December is the annual Christmas Tree Ceremony, held at the General Grant Tree in Kings Canyon National Park.

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Adjacent Visitor Attractions

Sequoia, Sierra and Inyo National Forests (US Forest Service); Yosemite National Park; Devils Postpile National Monument.

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Additional Information

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
Visitor Information
Three Rivers, CA 93271 209-565-3341.

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