Park Essentials

Accessibility

All of the visitor centers, the Giant Forest Museum, and Big Trees Trail are wheelchair-accessible, as are some short ranger-led walks and talks. General Sherman Tree can be reached via a paved, level trail near a parking area. None of the caves is accessible and wilderness areas must be reached by horseback or on foot. Some picnic tables are extended to accommodate wheelchairs. Many of the major sites are in the 6,000-foot range and thin air at high elevations can cause respiratory distress for people with breathing difficulties. Carry oxygen if necessary. Contact the park's main number for more information.

Admission Fees and Permits

The admission fee is $20 per vehicle and $10 for those who enter by bus, on foot, bicycle, motorcycle, or horse; it is valid for seven days in both parks. U.S. residents over the age of 62 pay $10 for a lifetime pass, and permanently disabled U.S. residents are admitted free.

If you plan to camp in the backcountry, you need a permit, which costs $15 for hikers or $30 for stock users (e.g., horseback riders). One permit covers the group. Availability of permits depends upon trailhead quotas. Advance reservations are accepted by mail, fax, or e-mail for a $15 processing fee, beginning March 1, and must be made at least three weeks in advance(HCR 89, P.O. Box 60, Three Rivers, CA 93271 559/575-3766559/565-4239)). Without a reservation, you may still get a permit on a first-come, first-served basis starting at 1 pm the day before you plan to hike. For more information on backcountry camping or travel with pack animals (horses, mules, burros, or llamas), contact the Wilderness Permit Office (530/565-3761).

Admission Hours

The parks are open 24/7 year-round. They are in the Pacific time zone

ATMs/Banks

There are ATMs at the Grant Grove Gift Shop and the Lodgepole Market. The nearest banks are in Visalia and Three Rivers.

Automobile Service Stations

There is no gasoline in either park. If you're traveling in Kings Canyon, you can find gas at Hume Lake; if traveling in Sequoia, fuel up in Three Rivers. Cans of emergency gasoline are available at Lodgepole Market and Grant Grove Market for $8 a gallon. For emergency repairs, towing, lock-outs, or jump starts, your best bet is to call AAA or a service station in a neighboring town.

Cell-Phone Reception

Cell-phone reception is poor to nonexistent in the higher elevations, and spotty even on portions of Generals Highway, where you can (on rare clear days) see the Central Valley. Public telephones may be found at the park entrance stations, visitor centers, ranger stations, some trailheads, and at all restaurants and lodging facilities in the park.

Emergencies

Call 911 from any telephone within the park in an emergency. Rangers at the Cedar Grove, Foothills, Grant Grove, and Lodgepole visitor centers and the Mineral King ranger station are trained in first aid. National Park rangers have legal jurisdiction within park boundaries: contact a ranger station or visitor center for police matters. For nonemergencies, call the parks' main number, 559/565-3341.

Park Contact Information

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (47050 Generals Hwy., (Rte. 198), Three Rivers, CA, 93271-9651. 559/565-3341 or 559/565-3134. www.nps.gov/seki.)