The Mineral King Road narrows between two giant sequoias on its way to the Mineral King Valley within Sequoia National Park.
NPS file photo
July 1, 2023 - SEQUOIA AND KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARKS, Calif. - With increased access into the Giant Forest area beginning on July 1, and a heat wave hitting the valley, we expect the parks to be even busier than usual. We urge visitors to plan ahead and come prepared to ensure they have a fun and safe holiday weekend experience.
Purchase Entrance Pass in Advance
Expect long lines at park entrance stations between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. The best times to visit are early in the morning or later in the afternoon. These are also the best times to see wildlife. We recommend purchasing your entrance pass in advance on Recreation.gov to reduce your time at the entrance booth. If you are paying with cash or with credit card, be sure to have them out and ready to pay when you arrive at the gate. Each vehicle receives a park newspaper upon entry; this is full of helpful information about what to do and see throughout the parks.
Traffic Delays
Although the Generals Highway is open from the Sequoia National Park entrance in Three Rivers, CA to the Hwy 180 intersection in Grant Grove, there are several areas where storm damaged roads are still under repair and require one-lane traffic control. Visitors should drive cautiously and expect delays this holiday weekend.
River Safety
Rivers are extremely dangerous this year as a record snowpack continues to melt at higher elevations. We urge visitors to keep a safe distance from the water’s edge as rocks are slippery and most fatalities have been from people unintentionally falling in. Even on the hottest days, the water from the mountain snow melt is frigid cold.
Camping
Camping is limited this year and reservations are required. Please check Recreation.gov for availability, although holiday weekends tend to book months in advance.
Wildlife and Pets
Wildlife is prevalent throughout the parks, and it is extremely important to keep all food and scented items stored properly or disposed of in bear proof trash bins throughout the parks. Feeding wildlife is not allowed and can make them bold and potentially dangerous to visitors. Please help us keep wildlife wild.
Pets are not permitted on trails. Visitors should take that into consideration before bringing their pet along for the ride. High temperatures are expected this weekend, and car interiors can get dangerously hot for pets needing to be left behind.
No Fireworks
Fireworks are not permitted in the parks.
Area Closures
Both the Cedar Grove area in Kings Canyon National Park and the Mineral King area in Sequoia National Park remain closed due to severe road damage from winter storms.
We wish everyone a fun and safe Fourth of July!
About Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
These two parks, which lie-side-by-side in the southern Sierra Nevada in Central California, serve as a prime example of nature’s size, beauty, and diversity. Nearly 2 million visitors from across the U.S. and the world visit these parks for the world’s largest trees (by volume), grand mountains, rugged foothills, deep canyons, vast caverns, the highest point in the lower 48 states, and more. Learn more at http://www.nps.gov/seki
Source: NPS
