Closing Dates for Water/Gate

I know it's hard to think about the end of the season so soon after it began, but here is the 2020 closing schedule for the Park Service:

Water systems:

   Silver City water (10/9/2020)
   Cold Springs Water (10/14/2020)
   Atwell Mill Water (10/16/2020)

Conifer Gate (mile 17.64): 10/28/2020

Important Note: There will be a new lock code this winter. If you are a cabin owner and require access to your cabin, please call an MKDA Board member for the new combination.  Codes will not be provided by email.

Enjoy the rest of your summer!

Important Note from Mineral King Subdistrict Ranger

My trailhead rangers have stated that several cabin owners have come by the Mineral King Ranger Station today (8/23) to inquire about if there was a fire in or near Mineral King. There are smaller fires within the park boundary, but the one that is causing the ash in Mineral King and prompted concern in the community is the Castle Fire in the Golden Trout Wilderness.

Over the next several days, I am requesting that the cabin community please not interrupt the staff at the Mineral King Ranger Station unless there is an emergency. My trailhead rangers will be working non-stop on the phone over the next several days to notify permit holders planning to hike near the fires of the conditions and forest service closures. I have asked them to post updates on the front door of the ranger station as they are received to facilitate information flow of what we currently know to you all.

For those that have access to the Silver City Resort wifi, they can look at the fire information updates here. This will be the best place to receive information on the fires: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7048/

Information on air quality near Mineral King can be found here: https://aqicn.org/city/california/tulare/sequoia-national-park-ash-mountain and https://www.nps.gov/seki/learn/nature/airqualityinfo.htm

We will do our best to facilitate information flow to you all as it is received.

Also, unfortunately both campgrounds at Mineral King (Atwell Mill, Cold Springs) will not open this summer.

Respectfully,

Elizabeth K. Dietzen

Mineral King Subdistrict Ranger (Protection)

A Warm Welcome to Acting Superintendent, Lee Taylor

If there is one thing I have learned about Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, it is that it has

magic that people just can’t get enough of! These parks are so habit-forming that when an employee leaves for a new job, I’ve stopped saying goodbye because I know that they’ll be back.

Such was the case with former Superintendent Woody Smeck, and now Acting Superintendent Lee Taylor, both of whom spent time early in their careers in these two parks. Superintendent Taylor began her National Park Service career as a seasonal interpretation ranger right here in Sequoia National Park in 1985.

Since then, she has gone on to serve as superintendent at the San Juan Islands National Historical Park and deputy superintendent at Olympic National Park, both in the Pacific Northwest. Former Superintendent Woody Smeck explains the selection of Ms. Taylor this way, “Lee brings strong skills and experience in communications, partnerships, business acumen, and leading people during periods of change. Along with the superintendent, she has been leading the planning for COVID response at Olympic and is well-versed in guidance for disease prevention and management of parks and access."

Everyone at Sequoia Park Conservancy is excited about this new chapter and looks forward to building upon the already robust partnership with Sequoia and Kings Canyon under Lee's leadership.

Savannah Boiano

Executive Director of Sequoia Parks Conservancy