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Visitation

Visitor Impacts

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).

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.

Visitor Center

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.

Basic Visits

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.

Climate

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 subzero temperatures are rare. Precipitation falls mostly between January and mid-May, but thunderstorms, rain and even snow can occur at any time of year.