NATIONAL SEQUOIA & KINGS CANYON PARKS & SEQUOIA NATIONAL FORES T/ GIANT SEQUOIA NATIONAL MONUMENT LATE SUMMER 2008 GUIDE

Free Activities • page 3 page 8 • Facilities & Ranger Programs in Sequoia Road & Safety Tips / Finding Gasoline • page 5 page 9 • Facilities & Programs in Kings Canyon & USFS Shuttle & Highlights in Sequoia Park • page 6 page 10 • Camping & Lodging / Bears & Your Food Highlights in Kings Canyon & USFS • page 7 page 12 • Park Road Map Surprises in the Wilderness The quest to uncover the secrets and backcountry is commonly vertical. What surprises of wilderness draws 80,000 vis - isn’t forest, lakes, meadows, and streams itors every year to the backcountry of is covered by rocks or house-size boul - Sequoia & Kings Canyon parks. ders, snowfields, glaciers, and slabs of Some secrets are botanical: Why do rock. Wilderness isn’t simply big. It’s foxtail pine only grow at high elevation? huge. Little things get lost very easily. Some are avian: What is it about snow - Something else about wilderness: fields that attract rosy finches? There are times when you are so alone, Other wilderness surprises amaze and so completely isolated, knowing for cer - delight: A slow-moving stream quickly tain that not another pair of human eyes becomes a rapid torrent with many are enjoying this sight. You own it all — waterfalls. A boulder field suddenly water, earth and sky, forest, wildflowers, opens up to disclose a “pocket meadow” trails, rocks, marmot and cony, and the overflowing with teenie-weenie yellow rosy finch and occasional raptor that monkey-flowers. A back bear saunters come up on a thermal to look around past your kitchen at dinner time, ignor - before soaring home in their slow, ing your precious food supply to forage methodical, business-like way. for wasps in a rotten log. But it isn’t the lack of human contact Sometimes, surprises are historical. In that seeps into your bones in wilderness. 1942, a military navigation training flight It’s the surprising feeling of complete - went terribly wrong and the airplane, a ness. No longer just a speck in the world, Beech 18 AT-7, crashed in northern you feel part of something larger than Kings Canyon National Park. It wasn’t yourself, a piece of something important. until 1947 that the wreckage was discov - Wilderness reminds us that home is ered, and not until 2005 when climbers The rugged landscape where the plane went down in 1942 may reveal more secrets as its glaciers shrink. ©A. Post, USGS Ice & Climate Project more than a building with four walls. chanced upon the remains of the first of Home is a place where you belong. Over four crewmembers from the missing aircraft. Then, in 2007, another of the years, millions of people have visited these national parks. Each has the crew was found — by me. come to love and understand something different about the Sierra It surprises people that, in the most populous state in the union and Nevada. Isn’t it grand? That’s another of the secrets and surprises in a national park that sees nearly two million visitors every year, vic - awaiting us in these national parks. tims of an airplane crash could go undiscovered for so long. But wilderness is like that. The terrain in Sequoia & Kings Canyon’s craggy by Peter Stekel, author and frequent visitor to the park wilderness WELCOME TO SEQUOIA & KINGS CANYON

Get to know these parks! WELCOME You may borrow the park map & Given the names of these parks, you expect giant trees and huge guide in Braille at visitor centers. canyons — and you won’t be disappointed. Yet the whole of the parks is even greater than the sum of their famous parts. BIENVENUE Rising from 1300’ to 14,494’, these parks protect a spectacular Une guide officielle est dis pon ible elevational range. This span from low to high means dramatic shifts dans les centres d’information. from hot foothills to shady forests to the cold High Sierra. It means extraordinarily diverse plants and animals living in extremely varied BIENVENIDOS conditions. It means steep roads and trails that climb mountains, Hay un folleto en Español and cold rivers that plunge down from their heights. disponible en los centros de visita. There is diversity, too, in the caretakers of this landscape. Bordering these two national parks is a national monument, which is part of a WILKOMMEN national forest. A U.S. Geological Survey Field Station conducts research Eine Landkarte ist auch in here. The Sequoia Natural History Association sells books and maps at Deutscher Sprache im Besucher visitor centers and contributes to education and research. The Sequoia Zentrum erhaeltlich. Parks Foundation supports significant park projects. BENVENUTI Other partners, public and private, cooperate with the Park Service to La traduzione in lingua Italiana meet a challenging mission — providing for public enjoyment while keep - della mappa e’ disponibile in tutti i ing the parks unimpaired for future generations. You are an equally impor - centri di informazioni. tant partner! Experience these parks fully: Learn all you can and join in preserving them. Together we can meet this inspiring goal: TThhee NNaattiioonnaall PPaarrkk SSeerrvviiccee PARK, FOREST, OR MONUMENT? PHONE NUMBERS ccaarreess ffoorr ssppeecciiaall ppllaacceess What is the difference between Sequoia and Kings Canyon EMERGENCY — DIAL 911 ssaavveedd bbyy tthhee AAmmeerriiccaann ppeeooppllee National Parks, Sequoia National No coins needed. Forest, and Giant Sequoia 24-Hour Park Information ssoo tthhaatt aallll mmaayy eexxppeerriieennccee National Monument? 1-559-565-3341 (NPS) Each is on federal land. Each www.nps.gov/seki oouurr hheerriittaaggee.. exists to benefit society. Yet each Na tional Forest Information has a different history and pur - 1-559-338-2251 (USFS) pose. Together they provide a www.fs.fed.us/r5/sequoia FEES H EL P YOUR PA RKS ! wide spectrum of uses. Yosemite Information (NPS) Most of your entrance and camping fees stay here. The parks National parks strive to keep 1-209-372-0200 invest them in important projects that improve visitor facilities landscapes unimpaired www.nps.gov/yose and protect park resources. In recent years, fees have paid for for future generations. They protect natural Road Conditions repairing and upgrading roads, campgrounds, trails, picnic areas, and restrooms. They have improved visitor centers, updated and historic features 1-800-427-7623 (Caltrans) while offering light-on- exhibits, and modernized naturalist slide programs. the-land recreation. Partners in the Parks ENTR ANCE FEE O PTIO NS Park rangers work for The following organizations work the National Park together to provide this guide, first • 7-day pass for Sequoia & Kings Canyon, and for Hume Lake Service, part of the published in 1974 as The Sequoia Bark . District of Sequoia Na tional Forest/Giant Sequoia National Department of the Interior. It is published by the Sequoia Natural National forests, managed His tory As so ciation (SNHA) and Monument (GSNM) : $20 per vehicle (private, non-commer - under a “multiple use” concept, printed by Willems Commercial Printing: cial) or $10 per person on foot, bicycle, motorcycle, or bus. provide services and commodi - (NPS) ties that may include lumber, Malinee Crapsey, Editor • 12- Month Pass for Sequoia & Kings Canyon, and for Hume cattle grazing, miner - 1-559-565-3341 Lake District of Sequoia Na tional Forest/GSNM : $30 admits als, as well as recre - www.nps.gov/seki all passengers in a private vehicle for one year from month of ation with and Sequoia Natural History purchase. Not valid at Crystal Cave. without vehicles. Association (SNHA) Forest rangers work 1- 559-565-3759 for the U.S. Forest www.sequoia hist ory. org • 12-Month: America the Beautiful Interagency Annual Pass : Cost $80. Valid for entrance fees at Federal recreation sites Service, an agency Sequoia Parks Foundation including National Parks, National Forests, FWS, BLM, & in the Department of 1-559-739-1668 Agriculture. www.sequoia fund. org Bureau of Reclamation. Admits all passengers in a single private Both agencies manage wilder - U.S. Forest Service (FS) non-commercial vehicle where per-vehicle fees are charged, or ness and other areas where they 1- 559-784-1500 the passholder plus up to 3 persons (age 16 & older) for per- strive for maximum protection of www.fs.fed.us/r5/sequoia person fee areas, for 12 months. Not valid at Crystal Cave. natural resources. For example, Delaware North Companies part of Parks & Resorts (DNCPR) • Seniors: America the Beautiful Interagency Pass : $10 one- has been designated Giant 1-888-252-5757 time fee buys a lifetime pass for entrance fees for U.S. citizens & Sequoia National Monument to www.visitsequoia.com permanent residents 62 or over. (Previously issued Golden Age emphasize protection of sequoias. Kings Canyon Park Services (KCPS) passes remain valid.) Not valid at Crystal Cave. Parks, forests, and monuments 1- 866-KCANYON (522-6966) may have different rules in order www.sequoia-kingscanyon.com • Accessibility: America the Beautiful Interagency Access Pass : to meet their goals. Read “Where can I...” on the next page to learn U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Free to blind or permanently disabled U.S. citizens and what activities are permitted 1- 559-565-3171 permanent residents. Take appropriate documentation to any www.werc.usgs.gov where. Despite confusion over park visitor center. (Previously issued Golden Access passes names, we get a wide range of Page 1 illustrations ©SNHA by Rick Wheeler remain valid.) Not valid at Crystal Cave. benefits from these diverse areas. 2 LATE SUMMER 2008 SEQUOIA & KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARKS Cr ystal Cave rocks! No tickets are sold at the cave, only at Lodgepole and Foot hills Free Activities visitor centers. Buy them at least 1-1/2 hours before the tour. Crystal Cave Road is 15 miles (24 km) from the Sequoia Park entrance at Hwy 198, and 3 miles WALKS & TALKS Free ranger-led talks and walks may be (5 km) south of the General offered at , Lodgepole, Grant Grove, the Foothills, Sherman Tree (see page 12 map). and Cedar Grove. See pages 8 and 9 or check bulletin boards Maximum vehicle length is 22' and visitor centers to see what is scheduled. (6.7 m) on the road to the cave. Use parking-lot restrooms; the VISITOR CENTERS & PARK STORES Each one offers cave has none. Wear sturdy shoes different exhibits to enjoy and sells a wide variety of books, and bring a jacket; the 1/2-mile maps, postcards, posters, and other items. Remember: your trail (.8 km) to the cave is steep purchases in visitor centers help to support the parks! See and it’s 50 °F (10 °C) inside. pages 8 and 9 for details. No strollers, tri pods, or baby backpacks. Not wheel chair JUNIOR RANGER PROGRAM - FREE accessible. Ask about group reser - People of all ages earn a badge while helping to protect vations! Tours by the SNHA: 1- resources. Those 5 to 8 years old earn the Jay Award. If you See fabulous cave formations! NPS Photo 559-565-3759. are 9 to 12 years old, work for a Raven Award. Ages 13 to 103 earn an Arrowhead Award. Pick up a free Jr. Ran ger booklet 45-Minute Cave Tours in any visitor center. Follow the instructions and have fun! Don’t miss this opportunity! Through 9/1: BEETLE ROCK NATURE CENTER - Weekdays 10:30am -4:30pm every 1/2 hour. Programs, activities, and exhibits for all ages! Daily 10am-4pm - Saturdays & Labor Day weekend (8/30-9/1) every 1/2 hour 10am-5pm. through 8/17. Across the from the Giant - Sundays 10:30 am - 5 pm. Forest Museum. Through 9/2-9/21: TEACHERS: - Weekends on the hour 11am-4pm. - Weekdays 11am, noon, 2 pm, 3pm. BRING YOUR CLASS TO THE PARKS Fun, curriculum-based programs for Through 9/22-10/26 (weather permitting): nd rd th th - Saturdays on the hour 11am-3pm; Sundays 11am-2pm. 2 , 3 , 4 , and 6 -grades in spring - Weekdays 11am, 1 pm, 2pm. and fall. Topics include geology, Fees: Age 6-12 $6.00; age 13-61 $11.00; age 62 & up $10.00; under 6 sequoias, Native Americans, and & Golden Access Pass holders free. National Park, Interagency, & other cultural history. For details or Golden Age passes do not apply. SNHA members get a discount! to reserve a date, call 1-559-565-4303. RANGER IN THE CLASSROOM 1-1/2 hour Discovery Tours Bring these world-famous parks to Weekdays only through 8/29, starting at 4:15 pm. Enjoy a more in- your elementary students! Call depth tour of this fabulous cave! Limited to 16 people aged 13 & 1-559-565-3733 to learn about this up. Fee: $18.95 each ( SNHA members $16.95). exciting new program. Go wild - ask about Wild Cave Tours! • DRIVE OFF-ROAD? Not in • RIDE A BICYCLE? In the either area. Stay on roads. Parks: Keep bikes on roads WHERE CAN I... • GO PICNICKING? See picnic only, not on any trail (other symbols on map (back page). than the designated bike trail You are visiting two different • COLLECT THINGS? Not in Bears are active; never leave food in Cedar Grove). In National Parks: Leave everything to play areas - a National Park (NPS) unattended! Fire Restrictions: Forest: Ask a ranger which its natural role in the ecosystem. and a National Forest and Check bulliten boards for details. trails permit bicycles. In National Forest: Keeping a Monument (USFS). Some Most sites have tables, restrooms In both areas: Be careful & few cones or rocks for personal courteous near ped es trians & activities that are illegal in the use is permitted. In both areas: & fire grills, except: No fire grills Park may be legal in the Forest at Foothills & Sandy Cove. No horses. People younger than 18 Archeo logical sites & artifacts are must wear helmets. (see page 2 to learn more). Use protected by law. fires permitted at Lodgepole & Crescent Meadow. No water at a map to know where you are! • HUNT? Not in the Parks. Fire- So, where can you: Halstead, Powdercan, Lodgepole, arms must be unloaded, inoper- & Crescent Meadow. • RIDE HORSEBACK •WALK A PET? In the Parks: able & stored in way that prevents Call regarding hourly rides, • HAVE A FIRE? Fire restrictions are Not on any trails but it’s o.k. 100 ready use prior to entering nation - backcountry spot trips, & in effect! Check for details. In the feet from roads in developed al parks. In National Forest: guided trips. Parks: Only in fire grills in camp - areas (picnic areas, camp - Only during the season with a grounds & some picnic areas. In • Cedar Grove grounds, roads). In National license. Call 1-559-243-4005. National Forest: Free fire permits 1-559-565-3464 summer Forest: Pets can go on trails. • GO CAMPING? In the Parks: are required, even for gas stoves 1-559-337-2314 off season In both areas: Pets must be on a Only in numbered sites in and lanterns. Some areas are more • Grant Grove leash less than 6 feet (1.8m) long. designated campgrounds. In restricted than others. Get permits 1-559-335-9292 summer Don’t leave pets in hot cars. National For est: In campgrounds at park visitor centers in Grant 1-559-594-9307 off season or, unless posted otherwise, near • GO CAMPING? In the Parks: Grove & Cedar Grove or USFS • Horse Corral roadsides. Pull safely off the road, Only in numbered sites in office in Dunlap on Hwy 180. at Big Meadows in Sequoia designated campgrounds. In no further. • GO FISHING? In both areas: National Forest National For est: In camp - • CUT WOOD? Not in the Parks. Permitted during the season; 1-559-565-3404 summer grounds or, unless posted oth - In National Forest: Call Hume Cal ifornia fishing licenses re quired 1-559-564-6429 off season erwise, near roadsides. Pull Lake Ranger District for permit for ages 16 & up. Ask for cop ies of 1-559-679-3573 cell safely off the road, no further. & guidelines: 559-338-2251. park reg u la tions. & SEQUOIA NATIONAL FOREST / GIANT SEQUOIA NATIONAL MONUMENT LATE SUMMER 2008 3 WILDERNESS Change: Natural & unnatural OVERNIGHTS Each park trail has a daily entry quota for overnight trips, and We often think of parks as outdoor museums. Caretaking a living ecosystem, between late May and late however, is very different than protecting unchanging objects. September a wilderness camping fee of $15 is required. The quota Both natural features and human facilities may be different each time you visit Both are changing all and fee are used to help protect the time. How we take care of those features and facilities may also affect your visit. You won’t notice your wilderness environment and the ozone monitor that works 24 hours a day, but you will see other activities such as revegetation, road experience. (They are not required work, painting, or trail maintenance. Some activities may unavoidably affect you, such as smoke from a for day hikes, or for overnights in prescribed fire, campsite closures due to revegetation, or bear management. the adjacent Monarch and Jennie Lakes wildernesses in US Forest The park staff uses such actions as tools to maintain the landscape and protect its inhabitants and Service. However, a free fire permit visitors. Your visit gives you but a snapshot of this process; Nature decides the timing of many of these is required for any open flame on actions. They all share one goal: preservation of these parks for us all, now and in the future. USFS land.) A permit is required for each overnight trip. Reserved and first- come, first-served permits are Making (Fire) History issued the morning of your trip or In the summer of 1965, a young researcher after 1pm the day before at the named Richard Hartesveldt completed experi- park permit station/visitor center nearest your trailhead (see pages 8 ments at in Kings & 9). If the quota for your prefer- Canyon National Park. He wanted to determine red trail is full, you can choose the effects that a century of fire suppression had another trail for that day or anoth - on giant sequoia groves. er day to start, if space is available. By today's standards, it was an exercise on a Permits are not issued after mid- afternoon as minimum distances small scale — he “treated” just 12 acres with fire. must be reached before you camp. This first experiment showed that sequoia Requests to reserve a permit for seedlings flourished after a fire. a certain date are accepted begin - Three years later of additional evidence later, ning March 1 and at least 2 weeks these parks shifted fire-management policy from before your trip's start date. full suppression to include managing prescribed Reserved permits must be picked up either the afternoon before or fire and lightning fires that improved forest health. by 9am on the day of departure. If That year park staff completed the 800-acre delayed, call the Wilderness Office Rattlesnake Creek Prescribed Fire and managed or you may lose the reservation. the first lightning fire in National Park Service Camping in the park's "front - history on Kennedy Ridge. country" is permitted only in camp - grounds. Camping or sleeping in As park resource managers reflect upon the past vehicles is not allowed in parking 40 years of fire science, it's appropriate to consider lots, pull-outs, picnic areas, or trail - the significance of the work done here in the 1960s. heads in the park. Although attitudes toward fire were changing, these researchers were making history, and it was Wilderness Permit Reservations not easy. The public and much of the fire-firefight - Sequoia & Kings Canyon N.P. 47050 Generals Highway #60 ing community still believed that wildland fire was Three Rivers, CA 93271 nothing but destructive and deadly. 1-559-565-3766; Fax 565-4239 The idea that wildland fire was a natural event For more details, visit Wilderness like rain or snow, that it could improve the beauty Information at www.nps.gov/seki/ and health of an ecosystem, that the parks' very planyourvisit/wilderness.htm or call. reason for existence — the giant sequoias — might Fire in the Sierra usually hugs the ground. Its actually thrive with a natural fire cycle, was a low flames clear dangerous built-up fuels. HIGH SIERRA LODGE Without it, these fuels would feed intense, radical departure in thought. • BEARPAW MEADOW CAMP hard-to-control wildfires. The natural burn But the conviction that fire belonged in the forest (DNCPR) www.visitsequoia.com pattern includes occa sion al hot spots. These grew from clear evidence, and the willingness to Reservations (required) taken leave important openings in the forest — the act on it was commendable. It earned a place in starting 7am, 01/02/008: 1-888- sunny, bare places where sequoia trees resource history for these parks, and a reputation 252-5757. Open mid-June to mid- September. This tent hotel is at NPS Photo for park management based on good science that regenerate best. © 7800´ on the , an continues to this day. 11-mile hike from Giant Forest. Unnatural change: Alien invaders! Plants and animals evolve together in com - Two immediate threats: munities over time. Often they keep each other Star thistle is one of the most damaging in check. When species get brought in from non-natives in the state. Dense, thorny other places, the newcomers may multiply wildly patches completely exclude native plants, since the competitors, predators and diseases and limit wildlife movements. Not yet estab - they evolved with in their home communities lished here! If you recognize it from your are not here. They break links in the local web home or travels, make sure not to bring it in. of life, badly disrupting species that depend on each other. Sometimes they completely replace New Zealand Mud Snails take over water - native plants and animals. ways that they invade, eating most of the Practice alien hygiene! Look for seeds and food. Due to their biology, just one snail can NEW tiny animals attached to shoes, clothes, waders, start a huge population! They stick on gear; ZEALAND equipment, tires, and pet fur. Wash mud from check boots & waders thoroughly for this MUD under cars and on tires before coming into the tiny invader. Common just east of the parks. SNAIL parks. The natives will thank you! STAR THISTLE Could easily be carried into the Sierra. 4 LATE SUMMER 2008 SEQUOIA & KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARKS YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR SAFETY! RATTLESNAKES are especial - CELL PHONES rarely work Natural areas present hazards. Rocks roll, trees topple, and ly common in the foothills. Watch well in these mountains; don’t rely limbs drop without warning. Wild animals, uneven ground, and where you put your hands and feet! on them. Note where pay telephones changing weather can pose dangers. People may create other hazards They are protected; do not are available (see pages 8 & 9). kill them. Most through campfires, traffic, snowplay, and poor decisions. COUGARS roam throughout bit es result Water is the main cause of death here. Many drowning victims the parks, but chances of seeing from teasing or were walking or climbing near rivers and unexpectedly fell in. one are very small. They rarely hand ling. The Park Service works to reduce risks, but your safety is in your attack people and pets, but be Very few peo - own hands. Keep alert. Read warnings and ask a ranger for advice. aware. Avoid hiking alone. ple die, but tis - Watch children closely; never sue damage can let them run ahead. If you see a be severe. If bit - cougar, the goal is to convince it that ten, avoid panic; call a ranger or 911. you are not prey and may be LIGHTNING : If you see dark dangerous to it: clouds or lightning or hear thunder, • Don’t run. Cougars associate get inside a large build ing or a vehicle running with prey and give chase. Be Safe! (not convertible), if possible. Do not • Try to appear as large as possible. stand under trees or in shallow Don’t crouch or try to hide. caves. Avoid projecting above the • Hold your ground or back away surrounding landscape such as slowly while facing the lion. DROWNING is the #1 cause TICKS : Common in foot hill and standing on a ridge, on , • Pick up children. of death in national parks! Kings Canyon grasses; check your - or in open mea dows. Stay away from • If the lion acts ag gres sively, wave Be extra careful along rivers and self after a walk. Their bite is open water, wire fences, and metal your hands, shout, and throw streams; falling in is as dangerous as painless, but a small per - railings, which can carry lightning stones or sticks at it. swimming. Once in a river, getting centage carry Lyme disease. from a distance. • If attacked, fight back! • Report any cougar sightings. out can be nearly impossible. Rocks Remove them carefully with WEST NILE VIRUS is passed are smooth and slippery; swift, cold tweezers; seek a doctor’s advice. by bites from infected mosquitos. EXPLORE SAFELY : Avoid water rapidly saps your strength. GIARDIA in lakes and streams Human illness is not common, but going alone. Tell someone your PLAGUE : Please do not feed or can cause intestinal upset. Iodine take steps to avoid mosquito bites. plans and return time. Keep your touch ANY park animals. Fleas on and other chemicals may not be as CARBON MONOXIDE : eyes and ears open for potential haz - ards above and around you. Slow rodents can carry plague. Deer mice reliable as heat in killing bac teria and This odorless, colorless gas can be down and share roads and trails with feces can carry hantavirus. Giardia, but can be effective if used fatal. Never burn charcoal in closed properly. Boil drinking water at least people and wildlife. POISON OAK : This common spaces such as a tent, camper, or RV. 3 minutes. SAFE DRINKING WATER : shrub grows up to 5000 feet eleva - OZONE POLLUTION : See The parks’ 13 water systems are test - tion. Leaves in HYPOTHERMIA : This life- air-quality index forecasts in visitor ed to ensure that they meet state and groups of three are threatening condition can occur centers. Most ozone rises into the federal standards. Annual Consumer red with whitish berries year-round. Stay dry and snack Sierra on warm winds. Levels of this Con fidence Reports are available at in summer, bare in often. If others don’t respond to the colorless gas are highest May to visitor centers. fall & winter; need for warmer clothes or are October, peaking in late afternoon. shiny green in stumbling, forgetful, or extremely These peaks sometimes reach OPERATION NO-GROW spring. If you tired and drowsy, get warm sugary “unhealthy” state and federal stan - • Prevent illegal marijuana growing! touch any part of drinks into them immediately. dards and can affect respiratory sys - Keep parks safe, natural, and free the plant, wash skin Get them into dry clothing, tems. Ozone forms from gases in car from illegal activities! Report suspi - and clothes right away. sleeping bags, and shelter. and factory exhaust. cious activities: 1-888-NPS-CRIME. NARROW, WINDING ROADS LENGTH ADVISORY IN KINGS CANYON & N ATIONAL On 12 narrow miles from Pot- RRuulleess ooff tthhee rrooaadd FOREST / S EQUOIA MONUMENT – wisha Campground to Giant Hwy 180 ; Panoramic Point & Forest Museum in Sequoia Park, SLOW DOWN FOR WILDLIFE FINDING GASOLINE Redwood Mountain (NPS), & Big advised maximum vehicle length and never feed animals along the No gas stations lie within park Meadows , Quail Flat/Ten Mile , is 22 feet (6.7m). Maximum limit road! They often get hit by cars if boundaries. Only Grant Grove Converse Basin (FS). on the Gen er als Highway is 40 feet (12 m) for single vehicles, 50 they stay on roadsides. market sells cans of emerg ency IN SEQUOIA – feet (15 m) for veh i cl es plus a gas. Fill up in Three Rivers, Crystal Cave Road : Maximum towed unit. Alter n ative: Hwy 180 DON’T LOSE YOUR BRAKES Clingan’s Junction, or in the vehicle length 22’ (6.7m). from Fresno is straighter, less Frequent braking + warm weath - National Forest at: Moro Rock/Crescent Meadow steep, & wid er. Towing a car? Stay er causes overheating and brake • Hume Lake Christian Camp Road : No drinking water available in the foothills; use the car to failure. Always down shift when 559-335-2000: Year-round 24 on this road. From 5/21-9/1, single explore. going downhill. In automatic vehi - hours with credit card. Diesel. vehicles more than 22 feet long cles, put the gear shift on 1, 2 or 11 miles (18 km) north of and combination vehicles are pro - EMERGENCY CAR REPAIRS L. The en gine gets louder as it Grant Grove via Hwy 180. hibited. Exception if valid dis - slows the car down, but it will • Stony Creek Village 1-559-565- For a tow: Call 565-3341 then abled-parking placards are dis - press zero (24 hours). In Sequoia save your brakes. 3909: Available 24 hours with played. credit card. Diesel. Between Park only, AAA is available for Road : RVs out-of-gas, lock outs, jump starts, AVOID OVERHEATING Wuk-sachi & Grant Grove on & trailers not recommended Watch the engine temperature the Generals Hwy. minor repairs : Call 565-4070 (24 (not permitted in campgrounds). hours). gauge. If it starts to go up, espe - • Kings Canyon Lodge 1-559-335- South Fork & Middle Fork Roads : cially when going up hill, turn off 2405: Gas sales usually 8am- Partially unpaved. Slippery when the air conditioner and turn on 7pm. 5-gallon minimum sale. BICYCLES wet. Ride only on roads (not trails), the fan. If the engine fails, pull 17 mil es (27 km) north from single file, with traffic, and wear into a paved area, lift the hood, Grant Grove on Hwy 180. PREVENT CAR FIRES, light colors after dark. People and wait a while. If the problem is PROTECT PLANTS & SOILS, under 18 must wear a helmet. vapor lock, this may take care of MOTORCYCLES & LET OTHERS PASS it. Avoid oil buildup on pavement. Use paved turnouts only .

& SEQUOIA NATIONAL FOREST / GIANT SEQUOIA NATIONAL MONUMENT LATE SUMMER 2008 5 #1 GIANT FOREST ROUTE (green) : Free. From Giant Forest Museum to Wuksachi and back, with 3 stops along the way. About 35 minutes’ ride one way. Buses depart each stop every 20 minutes. Through 9/1. HEADING TO HEADING TO STOPS GIANT FOREST WUKSACHI • Giant Forest Museum - 1st bus: 9:20 am & All-Shuttle Transfer Point - Last bus: 6:00 pm • Lower Sherman Tree accessible - trail 1st bus: 9:45 am 1st bus: 9:30 am Parking with disabled-placard only Last bus: 6:45 pm Last bus: 6:10pm • Upper Sherman Tree - Main Trail & Parkin g 1st bus: 9:40 am 1st bus: 9:35 am Park here to walk down to tree. Last bus: 6:40 pm Last bus: 6:15 pm • Lodgepole Visitor Center & Market, 1st bus: 9:30 am 1st bus: 9:50 am Lodgepole Campground (2 stops) Last bus: 6:30 pm Last bus: 6:30 pm • Wuksachi Restaurant & Lodge 1st bus: 9:20 am - Last bus: 6:20 pm -

#2 MORO ROCK / CRESCENT MEADOW ROUTE (gray ): Free. Leaves Giant Forest Museum every 15 minutes; stops at Moro Rock only on the outbound trip. 15-minute ride one way. Through 9/1. HEADING TO HEADING TO STOPS CRESCENT MDW GIANT FOREST • Giant Forest Museum 1st bus: 9:30 am - & All-Shuttle Transfer Point Last bus: 5:30 pm - SEE SEQUOIA BY SHUTTLE! • Moro Rock 1st bus: 9:37 am - Description below. Last bus: 5:37 pm -

• Crescent Meadow - 1st bus: 9:43 am Description below. - Last bus: 5:43 pm

GIANT FOREST-TO-VISALIA ROUTE: $15 round trip. No additional park entrance fee. Reservations required; call 1-877-BUS-HIKE or www.sequoiashuttle.com. Two-hour ride each way. Buses leave Visalia for Giant Forest at 7am, 8am, 9am, & 1pm. Buses leave Giant Forest for Visalia on the hour from 2:30pm through 6:30pm through 9/1.

MORO ROCK/ , ending at granite CRESCENT MEADOW cliffs and a waterfall. Be careful No drinking water is available along by the water! Start in Lodgepole this 3-mile (5 km), dead- end road Campground (a shuttle stop). For that begins at Giant Forest the 500 foot/152 m elevation gain, Museum. Through 9/1, take a shut - allow 2-1/2 to 3 hours. Highlights tle to see it. Until then, single vehi - cles more than 22 feet long and THE FOOTHILLS those towing anything are prohibit - The Sierra’s lower elevations offer SEQUOIA PARK ed – except those with valid dis - more different kinds of plants and abled-parking placards displayed. animals than the conifer forests or Highlights include: highcountry. Watch for ticks and poi - son oak (see page 5 for safety tips). MORO ROCK : A granite dome HOSPITAL ROCK PICNIC GIANT FOREST Museum (past the small with a steep 1/4-mile (.4 km) stair - Sherman Tree parking lot for case to the summit (300 foot /91 m AREA : Exhibits about the Western Mono people who once Review safety tips on page 5. those with disabled placards elevation gain) and a spectacular Take the Sequoia Shuttle system lived here and a very short trail only) to Wolverton Road. Turn view. Two miles (3.2 km) from the (above) to visit many of these sites. built by the Civilian Conservation right, then follow signs. If you Generals Highway. Shuttle stop. Corps leads to a waterfall. Careful; GIANT FOREST MUSEUM can walk down but the walk TUNNEL LOG : A fallen sequoia The best place to learn about drownings often occur here! back up is too difficult, through that was tunneled through, and Always store food from bears. sequoias! Shuttle stop 5/21-9/1. 9/1 you can continue from the the only “tree you can drive BIG TREES TRAIL tree down to the shuttle stop on through” in these parks. There is a MARBLE FALLS TRAIL climbs A level, 2/3-mile (1 km) loop with the Generals Highway, and ride by-pass for larger vehicles. 2.7 miles 3.9 miles (6 km) through chaparral to a lovely cascade. Park near site colorful trailside panels describing the northbound shuttle (toward (4.3 km) from the Museum. #14 at Potwisha Campground. Take sequoia ecology. Start at Giant Wuksachi) back to your car. CRESCENT MEADOW: Summer the dirt road across the concrete Forest Museum; parking at the • Wheelchair accessible trail at wildflowers in a fragile meadow. trail is only for cars with placards.) ditch; the trail starts along the Lower Sherman has parking for Stay on designated trails; use only steep bank to the right. 1 hour round trip. those with disabled placards only. fallen logs to walk into meadows. TREE: If you don’t have a placard but Try the 1-mile (1.6 km) route to PARADISE CREEK : At Buckeye Two trails run to the world’s can’t make the walk down the Tharp’s Log, a cabin in a fallen Flat Camp ground, follow the foot - largest tree. The shuttle stops at main trail, ask at any visitor cen - sequoia, or the High Sierra Trail path across from site #26 and the footbridge over the Middle Fork. the beginning of each: ter for a temporary permit or, (71 miles/114 km to Mt. Whit ney, The trail fol l ows Paradise Creek, • Main trail at Upper Sherman through 9/1, take the shuttle. at 14,494 feet /4417 m, the highest not the Middle Fork, for 1-1/2 miles (with a large parking lot), runs 1/2 peak in the 48 states). Shuttle stop. CONGRESS TRAIL : A fairly (1.6 km) before grow ing faint. mile down to the tree and has level 2-mile loop (3.2 km) some stairs. It is an uphill walk NEARBY TRAILS through the heart of the grove. TOKOPAH FALLS : 1.7 miles (2.7 MINERAL KING back to your car. Drive two miles Begins at the Sherman Tree. km) along the Marble Fork of the See p age 8 for information. (3.2 km) north of Giant Forest 6 LATE SUMMER 2008 SEQUOIA & KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARKS BIG BALDY RIDGE: Great TAKE A HIKE! views out and down into Red- MIST FALLS: One of the park's wood Canyon. Two-mile trail (3.2km) to the summit at 8,209 largest waterfalls. Allow 4-5 hours; 9 miles (14.4 km) round

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s glacial history. 1 mile (1.6 km) Explore Giant Sequoia National u J east of Cedar Grove Village road. Monument, part of Sequoia National BEFORE EXPLORING: Review NEARBY TRAILS & KNAPP’S CABIN: During the Forest (see page 2 for Park or Forest ). safety advice on page 5. You are POINTS OF INTEREST “Roaring” 1920s, Santa Barbara CONVERSE BASIN : Virtually on your own in the park — be businessman George Knapp every mature sequoia in this huge safe! PANORAMIC POINT grove was felled early in the ROAD: commissioned lavish fishing expeditions here, using this small 1900s. Walk the 2-mile (3.2 km) Until then, hike this steep, nar - Tree loop to see a huge GRANT GROVE cabin to store gear. A short walk GRANT GROVE row road to a High-Sierra vista. monarch sequoia that was spared TREE: Go east through the visitor- from a turnout 2 miles (3.2 km) (6 miles north of Grant Grove), One of the world’s largest living center parking, left around the east of Cedar Grove Village or the 1/2-mile (.8 km) loop to the trees. Coolidge pro - meadow, right at the sign road. Chicago Stump, a tree cut for claimed it the Nation’s Christ- “Panoramic Point, 2.3 miles ROARING RIVER FALLS: A exhibit at the 1893 World’s Fair (3.7km).” Walk 1/4 mile (.4km) mas Tree in 1926. It is also a shady 5-minute walk to a power - (2 miles north of Grant Grove) . up to viewpoint. Trailers/RVs National Shrine, the only living ful waterfall rushing through a not recommended. The 4-mile INDIAN BASIN : A one-mile me morial to those who died in accessible trail and a one-mile (6.4 km) round-trip Park Ridge narrow granite chute. 3 miles war. Visit historic Gamlin unpaved trail offer a look at how Trail begins here. (4.8 km) east of the Village road. Cabin and the Fallen Monarch Paved, relatively accessible. this meadow and forest are along this 1/3-mile (.5 km) BUENA VISTA PEAK: Park recovering after logging a centu - paved, relatively easy trail. A just south of Kings Canyon ZUMWALT MEADOW: This ry ago. Take Highway 180 7 miles trail guide is sold at the visitor Overlook on Generals 1.5-mile (2.4 km) trail offers high north of Grant Grove ; turn into center. North and west of the Highway, 7 miles (11 km) south granite walls, lush meadows, and Princess Campground. Trail visitor center 1 mile (1.6 km). of Grant Grove. 360° vista of the winding . Parking begins by the host’s campsite. is 4-1/2 miles (7.2 km) east of the NORTH GROVE LOOP: This Redwood Canyon, Buck Rock HUME LAKE , formed by a rare, lightly traveled, 1-1/2 mile (2.4 Lookout, and High Sierra. 2 Cedar Grove Village road. historic, multiple-arch dam, sup - km) trail provides a close look miles (3.2 km) round trip. Purchase a trail guide at the visi - plied water to a flume that float - at the Big Trees and a quiet REDWOOD CANYON: Dirt tor center. Allow 1 hour. ed lumber 67 miles (108km) walk through conifer forest. road, bumpy, not plowed. This, ROAD’S END: Here where the down to Sanger! An easy 2+ 1/2- Starts at lower Grant Tree park - the world’s largest sequoia pavement ends mile (4 km) trail circles it. Page 9 ing area. grove, has acres of rejuvenat - are high granite lists area facilities. Eight miles DEAD GIANT LOOP: ing forest from 40 years of pre - walls and trails to (12.8 km) north of Grant Grove Speculate on what killed this scribed fires, showing the posi - the river, Muir on High way 180; 3 miles (4.8 km) tive relationship between fire sequoia, and enjoy a pictur - Rock, and the south on Hume Lake Road. esque view of an historic mill and sequoias. Across Generals High Sierra. No Highway from the Quail Flat/ BUCK ROCK LOOKOUT :A pond. Follow the old road from road continues Hume Lake junction (7 miles/ 1916 tower, still used for spotting the lower Grant Tree parking across the Sierra. 11.3km south of Grant Grove), fires, offers 360 ° views of the High area for about a mile. The trail turn southwest at Red-wood East of the Village Sierra. Approximately 6 miles branches off, creating a 1-1/2 Saddle. Turn right and go 2 turnoff 5-1/2 (9.6 km) off Big Meadows Road mile (2.4 km) round trip. miles (3.2km) to parking lot. miles (8.8 km). 14S11 then Forest Road 13S04. & SEQUOIA NATIONAL FOREST / GIANT SEQUOIA NATIONAL MONUMENT LATE SUMMER 2008 7 FACI LITIES IN SEQ UOIA NA TI ONA L PA RK Giant Forest Area Foothills Area GIANT FOREST SEQUOIA GROVE 500-3500’ (457-1067 m) elevation. Oaks, chaparral, & river canyons; 6400’ (1950m) elevation. Home of the world’s biggest trees, it offers hot summers & snow-free winters; & the greatest biological diversi - 40 miles (64 km) of walking trails. For nearby picnic areas see page 3 ty in these parks. Park headquarters is at Ash Moun tain. and the map on page 12. See Highlights on page 6. • Visitor Center (NPS) : Daily 8am-6pm through 9/1, then 8am- • Giant Forest Museum (NPS) : Daily 9am to 7pm through 8/31, then 4:30pm. Exhibits, books, maps, bear canisters, first aid, local wilder - 9am-6pm. Exhibits about the Big Trees. Books, maps, first aid. ness permits. 1-559-565-3135. 1-559-565-4480. No payphone; closest are at Lodgepole & Wolverton • Potwisha Campground (NPS): Year-round. Details on page 11. (don’t rely on cell phones). • Beetle Rock Nature Center (NPS) : Daily through 8/17, 10am - • Pay Telephones (cell phone signals are usually poor): Foothills 4pm. Across the Generals Highway from the Giant Forest Museum. Visitor Center near front door, Potwisha Campground, Hospital Stop in, one and all! Rock Picnic Area (on restroom wall). CRYSTAL CAVE Mineral King Area One of the park’s main highlights! See page 3 for details and schedule. The road to this area is open late May to November 1. Lodgepole Area 7800’ (2380 m) elevation. A subalpine valley at the end of a steep, nar - LODGEPOLE VILLAGE row, difficult road. No RVs, buses, or trailers, please. No electricity or 6700’ (2040 m) elevation. A few miles north of Giant Forest, in gasoline. Be aware: In spring & early summer, marmots chew on hoses beautiful Tokopah Canyon along the Marble Fork of the Kaweah and wiring in parked cars in the valley. River. For near-by picnic areas see page 3 and the map on page 12. • Ranger Station (NPS): Daily 8am-4pm. Information, wilderness permits. Check for schedule of ranger programs. INFORMATION (NPS) • Pay Telephones: Cold Springs Campground, Sawtooth parking • Wilderness Permits : Required for backcountry overnight trips. Issued inside Lodgepole Visitor Center Daily 7-11am & 12-3:45pm. See area. Cell phone signals are usually poor. page 4 for details. Permit Information: 1-559-565-3766. Area trail • Silver City Mountain Resort : Open through 10/18. Cabins, conditions: 1-559-6-440. chalets, showers, small store (gifts, limited supplies, ice, no gasoline, • Visitor Center : Daily 7am-6pm through 8/31, then 7am-5pm. Bears no fishing licenses). Restaurant/bakery: 8am-8pm Thurday-Monday, of Sequoia movie (captioned); exhibits on geology & forest life; books; 8am-5pm Tuesday-Wednesday pie & coffee only). Pay telephone. maps; first aid, local wilderness permits. Crystal Cave tickets sold 8am- www.silvercityresort.com; 1-559-561-3223. 4pm. Pay phone. 1-559-565-4436. • Camping (NPS): No RVs or trailers. Details: page 11. FOOD, SHOPS & OTHER SERVICES • Lodgepole Market, Gift Shop (DNCPR) : 8am - 8pm through 8/31. FREE NA TU RE PROGRAMS Groceries, pre-made sandwiches, supplies, bear canisters, ice cream, Check local bulletin boards and visitor centers for times, topics, film, souvenirs. and additional programs! Limited programs on 8/7. • Watchtower Deli (DNCPR): Daily 11am-6pm through 8/31, then IN THE GIANT FOREST & LODGEPOLE : closed. Sandwiches, salads. • Harrison BBQ & Grill (DNCPR): Daily 8am - 7:45pm through 8/31. Sherman Tree Talk - Daily 10:30 am through 9/30, 4:30 pm through • Laundry (DNCPR) : Same hours as Market. Last load in 1 hour 8/31; 30 minutes. Learn about the largest tree on the planet and its before closing. secrets for survival! Meet at base of the tree. Plan at least 20 minutes to • Showers (DNCPR): Daily 8am -1pm & 3 -7:45pm. walk from parking lot. • Post Office : Weekdays 8am-1pm & 2-4pm. 1-559-565-3678. Address Moro Vistas - Daily 11 am through 9/30; 30 minutes. Meet on top of mail to visitors: c/o General Delivery, , CA Moro Rock. Plan at least 15 minutes to climb the staircase! 93262. Critters of the Sierra - Daily 1:30 pm through 9/30; 30 minutes. • Lodgepole Campground (NPS): Open all year. Details on page 11. Discover the animals that call Sequoia Park home. In front of • Pay Telephones : Outside visitor center & market (cell-phone Lodgepole Visitor Center. signals are usually poor). Beetle Rock Rollick - Daily 2 pm through 8/17; 1 hour. Kids! Discover a secret about Sequoia. Activities vary daily. At Beetle Rock Education WOLVERTON MEADOWS Center, across the road from Giant Forest Museum. 7200’ (2160 m) elevation. North of the Sherman Tree 2 miles (3.2km). Realm of Giants - Daily 2:30 pm; 2 hours. Explore the world's • Wolverton BBQ (DNCPR): Nightly through 8/31, weather largest trees. Meet in front of Giant Forest Museum. permitting. All-you-can-eat barbeque, served outdoors at 6pm (time Lodgepole Evening Campfire - Most weekends through 9/27; 1 hour. adjusts with sunset). Lodgepole campground ampitheatre across the big parking lot. Wuksachi IN THE FOOTHILLS: Schedule through 9/1; then check locally. LODGE & DINING ROOM (DNCPR) Wild About Bears - Daily 10am; 20-minute talk. Come to the 7200’ (2160 m) elevation. Year-round center for lodging & food serv - Foothills Visitor Center. ices in Sequoia; 4 miles (6.4 km) north of the General Sherman Tree. Ranger's Choice - Daily 2pm; 20-minute talk. Meet at the • Dining Room: Daily, 7-10am, 11:30am-2:30pm, 5-10pm. Dinner reser - Foothills Visitor Center. Check there for topics. vations required. Box lunches available. 1-559-565-4070. Lounge daily Junior Ranger Program - Sunday, 9am; 1-1/2 hours. Grab the kids and 4:30-10pm. meet at Potwisha Campground Amphitheater! Potwisha Evening Program - Wednesday, Friday & Saturday 8pm; 1 • Gift Shop: Daily 8am-8pm. Film, souvenirs, crafts, clothing, snacks. hour. Potwisha Campground Amphitheater. • Wuksachi Lodge: See page 10 for details. Front desk 24 hours. Amphitheater Point Talk - Daily 10am; 20-minute talk. Meet at • Pay Telephones : At main lodge. Cell-phone signals are often poor. Amphitheater Point Overlook on Generals Highway. Hospital Rock Talk - Daily 1pm; 30 minutes. Meet at Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts Hospital Rock Picnic Area. and the National Park Foundation Plan Your Visit - Daily. Morning map talks at the Foothills Visitor have made it easy for Wuksachi Lodge guests to Center will orient you to specific park areas. contribute to these parks. Ask about the Guest IN MINERAL KING: Donation Program when you check in! Evening campfires, walks & talks through 9/1. Check bulletin boards!

8 LATE SUMMER 2008 SEQUOIA & KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARKS FACILITIES IN KINGS CANYON PA RK & U SFS Grant Grove Area Where to Pay Your Entrance Fee GRANT GROVE VILLAGE 6600’ (2008 m) elevation. This was originally General Grant National Go to the entrance station at the Big Stump area of Park, created in 1890 to protect sequoias from logging. Here you can Grant Grove, just off Highway 180. see both a pristine grove & one that was logged in the 1800s. Please stop there to purchase or show your pass. INFORMATION One fee is good for visiting both parks and the forest! • Kings Canyon Park Visitor Center (NPS): Daily 8am-6pm through August, then 8am-5pm. Exhibits & a 15-minute movie cap - tioned in English and Spanish. Books, maps, first aid, bear canisters. USFS: National Fores t & Monument Local wilderness permits issued 8am-5:45pm (4:45pm starting 9/1). 1-559-565-4307. HUME LAKE & BIG MEADOWS AREAS (FS) FOOD & SHOPS (KCPS) Giant Sequoia National Monument, part of Sequoia National • Restaurant : Daily 7am -2pm & 5-9pm. Forest, borders much of the western edge of these National Parks. You are in the National Forest when you drive between the park • Gift Shop, Market : Daily 8am - 9pm. Souvenirs, film, clothing, areas of Lodgepole and Grant Grove, and between Grant Grove ATM. Market sells food & other supplies, sandwiches, bear canisters, and Cedar Grove (see page 2 for more on Parks and Forests). Sold & cans of emergency gasoline. to the government as a Forest Reserve in 1935, it is an excellent place OTHER SERVICES to see sequoias recovering from intensive logging in the late 1800s. • Camping & Lodging : See page 10-11. Lodge front desk 7am-10pm. PAY TELEPHONES (cell-phone signals are usually poor): • Post Office : Hours may change without notice. Monday-Friday 9am • Between & Grant Grove: Summer only at -3:30 pm; Saturday 10 -noon. Lobby open 24 hours. Send mail for visi - Stony Creek Resort & Big Meadows trailhead. tors to: c/o General Delivery, Kings Canyon NP, CA 93633. • Between Grant Grove & Cedar Grove : Hume Lake (year 1-559-335-2499. round; see Hume Lake below); Kings Canyon Lodge (summer only). • Stables - Horseback Riding : Details on page 3. INFORMATION • Pay Telephones : Available 24 hours at Kings Canyon Visitor • USFS Hume Lake District Office (FS): 35860 Kings Canyon Center (booth by front door); and outside gift shop, market, and post Road (Hwy 180) in Dunlap, 19 miles (31 km) west of Kings Canyon office. Cell phone signals are usually poor. park entrance at Big Stump. Open 1st Saturday of the month through • Showers : 11am -4pm. Pay at the registration desk in the village. September, 8am-4:30pm. Maps & books sold. 1-559-338-2251; www.fs.fed.us/r5/sequoia. In the Kings Canyon LODGING & OTHER SERVICES • Camping (FS) & Lodging (private): See pages 10 & 11. CEDAR GROVE VILLAGE • Montecito Lake Resort (FS permittee): Open all year. A resort on 4600’ (1410 m) elevation. This glaciated valley features towering public land. On Generals Highway 9 miles (14.5km) south of Grant granite cliffs, tumbling waterfalls, and the powerful Kings River — Grove. Breakfast 7:30-9am, lunch 12-1:30pm, dinner 5:30-7pm. “a rival to the Yosemite,” according to . Cabins, hotel, children’s activities. 800-227-9900; 1-559-565-3388. INFORMATION • Hume Lake: Year-round private facilities open to public: 24-hour • Visitor Center (NPS): Daily 9am-5pm through 9/1. Books, maps, first laundry (coin-operated) & gas station (with credit card). Market & aid, bear canisters. 1-559-565-3793. snack shop . North of Grant Grove 8 miles (13km) on Hwy 180, then • Wilderness Permits (NPS): At Road’s End, 6 miles (9.6km) east of south on Hume Lake Road 3 miles (5km). 1-559-335-2000. the village, open 7am -3pm daily. No permits issued after 2:45pm. • Boyden Cavern : On Highway 180 between Grant Grove & Cedar Maps, bear canisters. Grove. Daily tours on the hour 10am-5pm. Gift shop. Ask about FOOD, LODGING & SHOPS (KCPS) evening flashlight tours & guided canyoneering trips. Ages 13 & up • Restaurant : Counter-service meals & snack bar; not a full-service $12.50; 3-12 $7.50; AAA & seniors 10% discount. Schools & other restaurant. Daily 7am-2pm & 5-9pm. Lunch supplies at market. groups call 1-559-338-0959. • Gift Shop & Market : Salads, sandwiches, supplies, bear canisters, • Stony Creek Village (FS): On Generals Highway south of Grant souvenirs, film. Daily 7am-9pm. Grove. Market, restaurant 7am-8pm Sunday-Thursday, weekends 7am-9pm. Showers/laundry 10am-4pm. Gasoline 24 hours with OTHER SERVICES credit card. Lodging. 1-866-KCANYON; 1-559-565-3909. • Camping & Lodging : See page 10-11. Lodge front desk 8am-7pm. • Big Meadows Cabin (FS) historic guard station: See page 10. • Showers : 7am-1 pm & 3-7pm. GASOLINE SALES on FOREST LANDS • Pay Telephones : At restaurant/market & visitor center. No cell signal. • At Hume Lake year-round; at Stony Creek and Kings Canyon Lodge • Horseback Riding : Details on page 3. summer only. See page 3 for hours. FREE NATURE PROG RAMS Check local bulletin boards and visitor centers for times, topics, and additional programs! GRANT GROVE CEDAR GROVE Grant Tree Walks - Daily 2pm; 1-hour walk. Zumwalt Meadow Meander - Usually Meet at the start of the Grant Tree Trail daily; 1-1/2-hour walk. Meet at the start of (paved). the Grant Tree Trail (paved). Evening Programs - Nightly (except 8/7) at Evening Campfire Programs - Friday, Sunset Amphitheater. Start time varies. Saturday, Sunday at Amphitheater next to Ranger's Choice - Daily 4pm; 1/2-hour talk visitor center. or short walk. Meet in front of Kings Canyon Kanawyer’s Mine & Resort Walk - Meet Visitor Center. at Road’s End. Celebrate Sequoias Festival - 10th annual! Kings River Clean-up - Saturday, Saturday, September 6 th . Special activities. September 27 th . http://sfkingsriver.org

& SEQUOIA NATIONAL FOREST / GIANT SEQUOIA NATIONAL MONUMENT LATE SUMMER 2008 9 LODGING SEQUOIA PARK • Wuksachi Village (DNCPR) Reservations: 1-888-252-5757 Staying Overnigh t Front Desk: 1-559-565-4070 www.visitsequoia.com. Open all year. North of Giant Forest Museum 6 miles (9.6 km). Lodge, restaurant, lounge, gifts. * Silver City Mountain Resort C AMPING DO S & DON’TS: These rules protect the park & you! NOTE: Summer: 1-559-561-3223 Rules may vary between the Park to the National Forest. Check page 2 for details. Winter: 1-805-528-2730 www.silvercityresort.com. Open KEEP FOOD FROM BEARS! GROUP SITES & RVS & TRAILERS late May to mid-October. Cabins, It’s required all year! Learn how to MAXIMUM GROUP SIZES No hookups are available. chalets, supplies, restaurant, gifts, do it correctly — see below. UP TO 6 : Many campgrounds allow Dump stations: See chart on page 11. bakery, showers. No gas. CAMPFIRE RESTRICTIONS only one vehicle & six people per Trailers are permitted in all but KINGS CANYON PARK four park camp grounds; check Check bulletin boards for restric - site. Check locally for slight varia - • Grant Grove Lodge & the chart on page 11. Many sites tions before starting any fire. tions in these limits & parking John Muir Lodge (KCPS) are not suitable for trailers or Gather only dead & down wood; locations for extra vehicles. Reservations: 1-866-522-6966 RVs. Sites may not be level. do not cut limbs from trees. 7 TO 19 : In summer, Crystal Front Desk: 1-559-335-5500 Vehicles over 30 feet long can fit Better yet, bring wood or buy it Springs (Grant Grove) has first- www.sequoia-kingscanyon.com. in a small number of sites. at a market. Fires must be out come, first-served sites for groups Open all year. In Grant Grove. Length advisory: On the Generals cold before you leave. In the of 7-15. Canyon View in Cedar Hotel all year, cabins (5/23-11/22), Highway in Sequoia Park, from national forest & monument Grove has sites for 7-19. $35/site. restaurant, showers, store, gifts. Pot wisha Campground to Giant you must get a free campfire LARGER : Call in advance for infor - • Cedar Grove Lodge (KCPS) For est Museum, advised vehicle permit from the Hume Lake mation on requesting summer Reservations: 1-866-522-6966 length limit is 22 feet. See page 5 Front Desk: 1-559-565-0100 District Office, Kings Canyon group tent-camping sites: For for other limits & warnings. www.sequoia-kingscanyon.com Visitor Center (Grant Grove), Sunset or Canyon View 1-559- 565-4335 (5/1-10/31: 565-3792 PROPANE CANISTERS May 16 to October 11. In the or a Forest Service ranger. Kings Canyon. Motel, public show - for Canyon View). To reserve a Do not put propane or other fuel ROADSIDE CAMPING? ers, res tau rant, laundry, store. group site in Dorst or in the na- canisters in park trash cans or It’s not permited in the park. tional forest/ monument: 1-877 - leave them in the parks. Take SEQUOIA NATIONAL FOREST/ Camp only in designated sites in 444-6777 or www.recreation.gov. them with you when you leave. MONUMENT AREA campgrounds. In the National TIME LIMITS ON CAMPING • Montecito Lake Resort (formerly Forest & Monument, roadside BE A VOLUNTEER HOST! Montecito-Sequoia Lodge) camping is permitted unless Camping stays are limited to 14 days Live in the park, take care of camp - between June 14 and Sep tem ber Reservations: 1-800-227-9900 post ed otherwise. Ask a ranger grounds & resources, & meet Front Desk: 1-559-565-3388 14, with 30 days total per year. for possible locations. great people! Learn about volun - www.mslodge.com. Open all year. NO HOLDING CAMPSITES QUIET & GENERATOR HOURS teer opportunities; contact the On Generals Hwy 9 miles (14.5 km) Park Volunteer Coordinator, You may not hold a site for some - 10pm-6am. Generator use: At south of Grant Grove. Cabins, 47050 Generals High way, one who has not arrived. Sites Lodgepole & Dorst only 8-11am & restaurant, hotel, lodge, seasonal & Three Rivers, CA children’s activities. not occupied for 24 hours are 5-8pm; at other campgrounds 93271-9651. considered abandoned; proper - 9am-9pm only. Music should be • Stony Creek Lodge (KCPS) ty may be impounded. audible in your campsite only. Reservations: 1-866-522-6966 Front Desk: 1-559-565-3909. www.sequoia-kingscanyon.com YOUMUST STORE ALL FOOD! Open early May - mid-October. On Generals Highway between Grant EARS quickly learn to get food from cars, picnic tables, and backpacks. Grove & Lodgepole. Restaurant, They then be come destructive and sometimes ag gres sive. They want our B market, showers, gas, hotel. food, not us, but people can get hurt. Too often these bears must be killed. This is why you may be fined if you do not store food properly . • Big Meadows Cabin (FS) 1-877-444-6777; www.recreation. • DRIVERS : Never leave any food or scented item in cars. Take infant gov. Open mid-June to mid- seats out of cars; the smells they absorb may attract bears. October. An historic guard station • CAMPERS : Store food day and night in the metal boxes provided in the National Monument (see page 11 for box sizes; avoid bringing coolers that won’t fit). between Grant Grove & Lodgepole. Store ALL food, coolers, related items, and anything with an odor Kings Canyon Lodge (Private) (even if it’s not food) -- including unopened cans and bottles. Latch the * Reservations: 1-559-335-2405 box completely. Food not stored properly will be impounded. Where boxes Open mid-April to mid-November. are not provided, store food in the car trunk (seal food to reduce On Hwy 180, 13 miles (21 km) east odors). If the car has no trunk, put everything on the floor, cover it of Grant Grove. well, and close the windows. Keep a clean campsite. Deposit garbage save a * Note: Privately owned and on pri - immediately in bear-proof containers or store it like food. vate land, these facilities cannot be • PICKNICKERS : Guard your food at all times. evaluated, regulated, or endorsed • LODGE GUESTS : Keep cabin doors closed any time you leave. bear! by the NPS or USFS. • BACKPACKERS : Store all food in a portable canister. Less than 3 pounds, it holds up to 5-day’s food for one and fits in a pack. Sales from the N E I G H B O R I N G T O W N S Metal boxes in a few backcountry locations offer backup storage. Save-a-Bear Kit Three Rivers, Lemon Cove, Squaw Valley & others offer year-round Rent or buy a canister at park visitor centers or markets. Bears & color pin (above) lodging, camping, & services. Ask at defeat most attempts to hang food in trees. directly support bear visitor centers or check www.nps.gov/ • EVERYONE : Don’t let bears approach you or your food. Wave your management. See the seki, click PLAN YOUR VISI T then link arms, make loud noises, and throw small rocks in their direction pins at visitor to LODGING . (avoid hitting the face or head). Keep a safe distance but be persistent. centers. If a bear does get food, never try to take it back. WILDERNESS LODGE & PERMITS See page 4. 10 LATE SUMMER 2008 SEQUOIA & KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARKS Each campsite has a table & fire ring with grill; no hook-ups. C A M P G R O U N D S Food-storage is required! : Always read & follow instructions on bul - KEY TO SYMBOLS: FOOD STORAGE: Avoid bringing items that won’t fit in letin boards to help save a bear! bear boxes. Symbols next to the campground name on the chart “Nearby”-Within 2 miles/ 3.2 See other rules on page 10. below tell the size of bear-proof food-storage boxes available there:  *Summer reservations for Dorst & -Year-round # One small box per site (47” long x 17”deep x 16”high); Lodgepole (in Sequoia NP) & for = -Summer only ! One large box per site (at least 47”long x 33”deep x 28”high); reservable campgrounds marked * © A mix of box sizes; below in the National Forest (USFS) + Additional boxes available for sites to share. may be made up to 6 months in Food Showers Laundry Dump Nature Riding River Sequoias advance of the date desired. # of Daily Rest- within within within Station Programs Pay within within within Contact www.recreation. gov or sites Fee rooms 2 miles 2 miles 2 miles Nearby Nearby Phone 2 miles 2 miles 2 miles 1-877-444-6777, 7am -9pm PST from 3/1-10/31, then 7am-7pm. Customer service: 1-888-448-1474. # $ IN SEQUOIA NA TIO NA L PA RK (N PS) FOOTHILLS AREA Elevation 2100’-3600’. Lowest in elevation, therefore warmest, often hot. Potwisha ! Open all year. 42 $18 Flush =  Buckeye Flat ! Open. 28 $18 Flush at = Potwisha No trailers or RVs. South Fork # Open. 10 $12 May Vault  Non-potable water only. -Sept. MINERAL KING AREA Elevation 6650’ - 7500’. Area closes 11/1. No RVs or trailers. Atwell Mill # Open 5/23 - 10/31 . 21 $12 Vault == =  Cold Springs # Open 5/23 - 10/31 . 40 $12 Vault at Silver at Silver =  City City LODGEPOLE AREA Elevation 6700’. *= reservable in summer up to 6 months in advance ( see Reservations above.) *Lodgepole © + Open all year. 214 $20/18 Flush ====  Reservation period 5/23 - 10/9. $20 during summer reservation period then $18. *Dorst © + Open 6/27 - 9/3. 204 $20 Flush ===  IN KINGS C ANYON NATIO NAL PARK (N PS) GRANT GROVE AREA Elevation 6500’. Azalea ! Open all year. 110 $18/10 Flush = at village = Crystal Springs ! 36 $18 Flush  =  “ =  Sites for groups of 7-15 (see page 10): 14 $35 Sunset ! 157 $18 Flush  =  “ =  CEDAR GROVE AREA (ON THE FLOOR OF THE KINGS CANYON ) Elevation 4600’. Area closes mid-November. Sentinel 4600’ ! + 82 $18 Flush === =at visitor = center 

Sheep Creek 4600’ !+ 111 $18 Flush === =“ = Canyon View 4600’ ! No RVs or trailers. 23 $18 Flush === =“ =  Sites for groups of 7-19 (see page 10): $35 Moraine 4600’ ! Open as needed. 120 $18 Flush === =“ =  SEQ UOIA NA TIO NAL FORE ST/GI ANT SEQUOIA NA TI ONAL MONU MENT (FS) HUME LAKE AREA Elevation 4000’ - 5900’. * = reservable in summer. *Princess 88 $17 Vault =$7 = single Dump station not recommended for vehicles over 30 feet long. *Hume Lake + 74 $19 “ Flush = Tenmile No water. 13 $15 Vault  Landslide 9 $15 Vault 

Convict Flat No water. 5 Vault  BIG MEADOWS & STONY CREEK AREAS Elevation 6400-7500’. * = reservable in summer. *Stony Creek # 49 $19 single Flush === =at lodge  Upper Stony # 18 $15 Vault === at lodge  Horse Camp No water. 5+ Vault  Buck Rock No water. 11 Vault Big Meadow No water. 40 Vault = by trailhead  & SEQUOIA NATIONAL FOREST / GIANT SEQUOIA NATIONAL MONUMENT LATE SUMMER 2008 11

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Kings Canyon n e C yo Gr izzly e Campground L n Cedar Grove e Road closes l Lodge Sce yway Falls k nic B e here in winter Boyden Visitor Center t Grizzly o Cavern Falls & Village H Closed in Picnic Area Fork South 4635ft Winter Hume 1412m Roads Princess Kin River End Converse Lake Sandy gs CED AR GRO VE Lodging Basin Grove Cove Sheep Creek AREA Sentinel N GIANT SEQUOIA Y O Horses/riding Powdercan Canyon N A View RoCar ing Cherry NA TIONAL MONUMENT T H S E K I N GR River Gas station Gap Moraine o Falls Landslide a r i (Sequoia National For est) n g Tenmile Crystal R i Major paved road B v Springs o e u r l d e GRANT Village & Kings r Minor paved road GRO VE Canyon Visitor Center Horse Columbine 6589ft / 2008m Corral

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AT A R AL N C P N Moraine o A Visalia - 1G hap our. IO Creek Visitor Center Falls RK Big Bir d Landslide AT a N 6720ft r Lak e & Village i Mineral King - 1-1/2 (Sequoia National FIA or est) 2048m n UO Wuksachi 6720ft g SEQ Tokopah hour. Road closed Tenmile Village 2048m Crystal er R Falls iv i B R v Nov 1 to late May. e Springs o u r l Halstead GENERAL Grant Grove d Giant Forest detail map e FROM GIANT FOREST TO y r a GRANT Village & Kings h w a h Heather LODGEPOLE & e g Moose GRO VGE rant Grove -C a1n yhoon uVirs.itor w i Lak e Crystal Cave a H Wolverton Lak e Center GIANT FOREST K s Horse l FROM GRANT GROVE TO : AREA a Columbine 6589ft / 2008m Corral Fork r

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r NATIONAL e k k 5,000 to 9,000 feet. e 216 e e FOREST re S CANYO k C ING N N N K ATI Summer: Warm days & O K ON Y R Foothills Visitor Center A Silver City N A K L A P R PA Resort cool nights. Winter: deep C A Park Headquarters R S L P r K G A e 1700ft snow, cold days. IN N L v QUOIA NATI Atwell Grove

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N N C PA Big Bir d IO Creek Visitor Center RK Visitor Center Foothills zone - AT 6720ft Lak e N r & Village 7504ft IA 2048m e 2287m 1,500 to 5,000 feet. UO iv 6720ft Atwell Mill SEQ R Wuksachi Road closes Mild, wet winters; hot, 2048m Tokopah here in Three Rivers Village r ive Falls winter MrINERAL KING Cold dry summers. Cedar 857ft R ve Eas Ri 261m t AREA Springs Grove is cooler than the h Halstead a Fo Lookout P oint ah e y r we foothills, but hotter than a k Entrance Ka w h w a a h Heather K 198 LODGEPOLE & e g Moose Grant Grove. w i Lak e a H Wolverton Lak e Crystal Cave GIANT FOREST K

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198 INYO Ash Mountain Entrance NATIONAL 216 FOREST EXPERIENCE YOUR AMERICA! Foothills Visitor Center Silver City Park Headquarters Resort 1700ft Atwell Grove 518m Mineral King Visitor Center 7504ft er iv Atwell Mill 2287m R Road closes Three Rivers here in winter MrINERAL KING Cold 857ft ve Eas Ri 261m t AREA Springs h a Fo Lookout P oint ah e r we w k Entrance Ka a K 198