Monday, March 30, 2020

Mineral King Road Gate Information

The latest, as of today, March 30, 2020:

At present we are working through our plans to discuss potential revisions to opening dates. In this dynamic situation, it is not possible to forecast at present. We will let you know as we get closer and revise our schedule.

Thanks,

Dave Fox
Sequoia District Ranger
559-565-3710 office
559-565-3195 24 hour emergency

Wednesday, March 25, 2020

Sequoia Kings Canyon Press Release


National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks News Release
For Immediate Release                               
Contact: Sintia Kawasaki-Yee, Public Information Officer
Media Contact: (559) 679-2866
  Reference Number: 8553-2006
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are Further Modifying Operations
to Implement Local Health Guidance
SEQUOIA AND KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARKS, California March 25, 2020– Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks is announcing additional modifications to operations in response to guidance from the Tulare County Department of Public Health. The health and safety of our visitors, employees, volunteers, and partners is our number one priority. The National Park Service is working servicewide with federal, state, and local authorities to closely monitor the COVID-19 pandemic. 
 
Effective immediately, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks will be closed to all park visitors until further notice. California Highway 180 will remain open for pass-through traffic to access Giant Sequoia National Monument and private property. All other roads and parking facilities are temporarily closed. 
  
We will notify the public when we resume full operations and provide updates on our website www.nps.gov/seki and social media channels @SequoiaKingsNPS.   
 
We encourage visitors to use a variety of available tools and resources in preparation for future visits and to enjoy the parks from afar. The official Sequoia & Kings Canyon app is available for free and can be downloaded by searching for “NPS Sequoia & Kings” in the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store. Our park website www.nps.gov/seki allows you to download the park newspaper, plan a trip, enjoy snowy vistas from our webcam, explore natural soundscapes across the elevations of these parks, and browse our photo gallery. If you’d like to speak with a park ranger to help you with future trip-planning or request park information by mail, call our main park line 559-565-3341 (dial 0) during business hours.  
 
For information about Sequoia Parks Conservancy services including Pear Lake Ski Hut and Crystal Cave please visit www.sequoiaparksconservancy.org. For information about lodging, restaurants, and markets managed by Delaware North Companies please visit www.visitsequoia.com
 - NPS -
About Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
These two parks, which lie side by side in the southern Sierra Nevada in Central California, preserve prime examples of nature’s size, beauty, and diversity. Nearly 2 million visitors from across the U.S. and the world visit these parks to see 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.
- ### -
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks 
47050 Generals Highway
Three Rivers, CA 93271
559-565-3341 | www.nps.gov/seki

Sunday, March 22, 2020

COVID-19 - Cooperator Update – Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks - 3-22-20

From: <SEKI_Public_Affairs@nps.gov>
Date: March 22, 2020 at 8:12:07 AM PDT
Subject: COVID-19 - Cooperator Update – Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks - 3-22-20

Hello, 


You are getting this e-mail because Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks staff have identified you and / or your organization as having interests with or inside the parks.  


With the dynamic nature of this pandemic, we want to keep you informed to the best of our ability so that you too can inform your stakeholders. 


How This Is Set-up: 

  • If you would like to be removed from this list, please reply to this address and we will remove you. 
  • If there are others in your organization that you would be preferred to be added, please let us know.  
  • We have intentionally bcc'ed addresses, so we ask that you check with your organization first to see if someone has gotten our messages that you may be thinking of. 
  • We will send out updates as conditions change or the situation warrants. So you may not see a message daily, that doesn't mean we've forgotten about you.   

 

Here is the update for March 22, 2020. 


Key Messages: 

  • No entrance station or camping fees are being collected. 
  • All areas of the parks are currently closed, except for South Fork, North Fork and Mineral King Road in Sequoia NP and Redwood Canyon in Kings Canyon NP as weather allows. 
  • All concessions lodges, restaurants, gift shops, and markets are closed. 
  • All campgrounds are closed except South Fork. Private campgrounds may be available in gateway communities. 
  • The road between the parks is closed as is typical this time of year. 
  • No Ranger programs are being offered. 
  • We expect winter conditions to continue, and chains may be required at any time. 

 Current Situation:   


Sequoia: 


The Generals Highway is closed from the entrance of Sequoia National Park (Ash Mountain) to Quail Flat with barricades and signs at the Ash Mountain Entrance Station. Closure is being enforced with law enforcement rangers.

 

Other front-country areas including South Fork, North Fork, and Mineral King Road are open and are being monitored by parks' staff.  


Kings Canyon: 


Highway 180 remains open with side roads off of 180 closed with barricades and signage. These include Grant Grove Village, Big Stump Picnic Area, Grant Tree Road, and the Admin access road.  


The Generals Highway is open from Highway 180 to Quail Flat.   

 

Questions? 


We are working to develop a form where you can submit questions. Please be patient with us a we work on this. We will send it out as soon as we are able. In the mean time, please send all questions to this e-mail address.  

 

Important Links: 

Main Parks' Website - https://www.nps.gov/seki/index.htm 

Current Parks Condition  Website -  https://www.nps.gov/seki/planyourvisit/conditions.htm