SEKi Visitor Experience Postponed

 

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks: Public Meeting About Visitor Experience and Access Postponed Until February, Public Meeting About Storm Impacts Scheduled for January 19

SEQUOIA AND KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARKS, Calif. January 18, 2023 – As National Park Service personnel continue to assess damage and respond to emergencies in the parks following recent storms, a decision has been made to further postpone the public meeting scheduled for tonight in Three Rivers, CA, on the topic of visitor experience and access. Tomorrow, January 19, NPS officials will host a public meeting on the topic of storm impacts and response at the Three Rivers Memorial Building at 6 p.m.  

While the parks plan to resume their focus on the important work of long-term solutions to visitor experience and access challenges as soon as possible, storm response is currently the top priority, and these changes in the public meeting schedule reflect that. The public comment period associated with the visitor experience and access project has been extended through February 15, and the new date in February for the public meeting will be announced once it is established. For more information and to submit a comment visit https://parkplanning.nps.gov/SEKIFrontcountryFall2022. 

The storm systems that have been battering the state of California in recent weeks have caused significant damage to the Generals Highway, the main road that connects the parks. It is currently not possible to visit giant sequoias, including the world-famous General Sherman Tree, in Sequoia National Park. Severe damage has been found in most areas of the parks, with much more still to be assessed. The public meeting tomorrow, January 19, will detail what is known and unknown at this time, and endeavor to provide timelines where possible.  

While Grant Grove in Kings Canyon National Park has remained open throughout this time, major snow accumulation in that area has created its own access challenges. For current conditions please visit our website www.nps.gov/seki.

MK Road Update

 Friends,

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but sometimes that's my duty.

The Mineral King Road has seen some significant damage. Today we spoke with Tulare County to ensure they were aware of the erosion happening around mile 8.5 on the road near the Mitchell Ranch. About 3-5' of pavement is gone for about 20', bringing it down to one lane. We don't recommend driving heavy equipment over it, and as always, you should make your own evaluation and assess the risk prior to driving a passenger car on it.

Our crew drove up that way and got on bicycles to look at the MK Road within the park. The pictures I'm sharing are much worse than the ones I sent last week. Part of the roadway is so badly undercut that we are closing the road from the gate to vehicular traffic. We currently have federal highways road engineers out helping us with three breaches to the road integrity between Ash Mountain and Giant Forest. They specifically asked about the MK Road.

I hope everyone heeded my warning from a couple of weeks ago and no one is currently stuck in Mineral King. There are now rock slides and boulders on the road that we will not be able to clear because we cannot get heavy equipment to it. Currently, we are addressing the Generals Highway with residents behind the damage and we don't yet have a time line for that. Mineral King timelines will be further delayed. I can only ask for your patience while we deal with these unprecedented storms.

We are anticipating another 4-6" of precipitation by Tuesday. Please look at the photos, but don't risk your lives or risk getting caught behind a blowout where rescue may be impossible. Once this next system blows through, we'll have another opportunity to see where we stand and try to get a plan for how to proceed in Mineral King.

Again, sorry for the bad news. We are doing everything we can to hold the park together while California remains in a state of emergency.

Thanks,

Dave Fox

Sequoia District Ranger

559-565-3710 office

559-565-3195 24-hour emergency operations center

Storm Damage

Tue, Jan 10, 3:55 PM

The Mineral King road has seen some significant impacts both in and out of the park. Around mile 8.5, ¼ of the lane has washed away for about 20 feet.

The last time I was in the park was before this last storm, and the effects were rough. I couldn't get more than 2.5 miles past the lower gate. We're still working our way further up to assess all impacts.

Thanks,

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

IMPORTANT NEWS FROM SEKI!

UPCOMING STORM / ACCESS

Good news/bad news - rain and snow.

I'm sure everyone is watching the weather and seeing the very large storm that is about to beset the community. I know it will be tempting to be in Mineral King to see the beautiful deep snow over the holiday. Please don't.

If the weather forecast holds out, we're looking at a potential of 9 inches of RAIN around Lookout Point, where the high severity burn occurred. I anticipate our maintenance staff is going to be engaged in emergency actions surrounding Lodgepole, Ash Mountain, and Grant Grove where full time residents live. We are preparing for our residents to potentially have to shelter in place while we clear mudslides that have become so much more common since the KNP Complex. With the forecast going for days with little break in precipitation, if you should find yourself in Mineral King and stuck because we lose the road, it may take a week or longer to find a way to extract you.

Worst case scenario, we lose a portion of the road entirely. Vehicles behind the road will not be accessible for months. People left behind may have to walk out. With the rain, clouds, and fog, we will not be able to bring in a helicopter. They cannot lift off from Fresno when it is foggy. Rescue staff is likely to be engaged in other operations.

Do yourself (and park staff) a favor - stay out of MK until after the event. We're going to be very busy.

Thanks,

Dave Fox

Sequoia District Ranger

559-565-3710 office

559-565-3195 24-hour emergency operations center

Campground Fees Going Up!

 

For Immediate Release                                Contact: Rebecca Paterson, Public Affairs Specialist​ Phone: (559) 702-3400 Email: seki_public_affairs@nps.gov

Reference Number: 8550-2232

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks announce campground fee increase and booking windows for 2023

SEQUOIA AND KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARKS, Calif. December 21, 2022 – On January 1, 2023, campground fee increases will take effect for Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. This is the first of two increases, with the second set to take effect in 2024. This phased increase brings Sequoia ancd Kings Canyon National Parks’ campground fees in line with prices of similar campgrounds in the area and follows a public comment period that was announced in August 2022.  

The increases will be implemented as follows:   

Site Type	Current Fee	January 1 2023	2024
Standard Campsite	$22	$28	$32
Stock Campsite	$22	$40	No change
Mid-sized Group Campsite	$40	$50	No change
Large Group Campsite	$50, $60, $70	$60, $70, $80	No change

No changes are currently being considered for park entry fees ($35 per vehicle, $20 per person, or $30 per motorcycle).  

The additional revenue collected under these fee increases will enable the parks to keep up with the rising costs of campground operations, as well as support ongoing maintenance and renovation projects, including the replacement of fire rings, picnic tables and food-storage boxes, the rehabilitation of comfort stations, and the removal of barriers for improved accessibility.

The National Park Service has also established booking windows for all campgrounds for the 2023 season. In response to public feedback, these windows vary in length to allow for different approaches to trip planning.  

Lodgepole, Potwisha, Sentinel, and Azalea campgrounds, as well as all group campsites throughout the parks, will have a 4-month booking window. In an effort to accommodate last-minute campers, Crystal Springs Campground will have a 2-day booking window (with the exception of its group sites). All other campsites will have a 1-month booking window.

All campsites will be reservable same-day if they are still available. Campsites must be reserved using Recreation.gov.  

As a reminder, at this time most campgrounds in the parks are closed for the snowy winter season. Sites in Potwisha Campground (Sequoia National Park) are available and must be reserved through Recreation.gov. Sites in Azalea Campground (Kings Canyon National Park) are first-come, first-served during the winter months but will require reservations in the spring and summer.  

For more information about camping at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, visit go.nps.gov/SEKIcampgrounds. To make camping reservations on the go, download the free Recreation.gov mobile app by searching for Recreation.gov in the Apple Store (iOS devices) or the Google Play Store (Android devices). 

Mineral King Road report

From a Silver City resident: 

Tried to get to Silver City today….made it past Cabin Cove, then got stopped by a LARGE tree across the road that was just too much for us to cut. 

We did clear several spots of downed trees on the way up. 

It was a very pretty day for the ride!

Mineral King Photos from October 28-31, 2022

Steven Bakos, our photographer friend wrote:

I had the time to process our pictures from the trip just before Halloween.

Here they are: https://yourownhike.com/pics/sequoia2022okt/

I think the coldest we got was around 12 or 14 at Little Claire Lake, but there was no wind at all and no snow yet. Also, we didn’t run into anybody else for the entire length of the trip.

 

Very excited to see the snow up there on webcam and satellite. Looks like another foot or two might fall by the end of this week. We can’t wait to go up there as soon as it settles (and we can get away).