United States Department of Agriculture

U.S. Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region and Giant Sequoia National Monument News Release Web: www.fs.usda.gov/sequoia April 29, 2020 Facebook: #SequoiaNF Media Contact: Alicia Embrey Twitter: #sequoiaforest (559) 339-4063 OnCell App: Sequoia National Forest [email protected]

Sequoia National Forest Update on Recreation Closures

PORTERVILLE, Calif. April 29, 2020 — On March 25, 2020, Regional Forester Randy Moore issued a Closure Order for all developed recreation sites across all National Forests in the Region. This closure order is likely to be in place through early May. Additional details will follow later this week.

The USDA Forest Service’s highest priority is ensuring our employees and visitors remain safe as we support mission critical functions for the people and communities we serve.

This closure excludes trails, trailheads and specific picnic areas, boat launches and staging areas that function as trailheads for dispersed recreation.

While these specific areas remain open for use, we recommend complying with local and state guidance and not traveling for your recreation needs.

If you do plan on visiting the Sequoia National Forest, please be aware that:

• No trash removal is currently offered – please pack out all trash and waste • All toilet facilities are currently closed – please plan accordingly • Avoid high-risk activities – law enforcement and search and rescue operations may be limited • If an area is crowded, please search for a less occupied location Forest officials would like to provide these TREAD LIGHTLY principles to ALL National Forest visitors: T – Travel Responsibly, obey the rules of the road or trails R – Respect the Rights of Others, please practice physical distancing E – Educate Yourself, know before you go… www.lnt.org A – Avoid Sensitive Areas – do not create your own trails, or parking areas. D – Do Your Part – call ahead to determine where you can go. Closing any site for any reason is not one we take lightly, but protecting our visitors and employees remains our highest priority. We are working with our state and local partners to determine the best path forward to safely reopening closed sites.

Please call your local Ranger Station Monday – Friday from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm or email [email protected] for current SQNF information.

Kern River Ranger District 760-549-9533 Western Divide Ranger District 559-920-0460 Hume Lake Ranger District 559-791-5758 Supervisor’s Office 559-920-1588

Stay informed, follow our webpage at www.fs.usda.gov/sequoia, Facebook at #SequoiaNF, Twitter at @sequoiaforest or SequoiaNF OnCell app.

Lists of seasonal and COVID-19 closures by district, attached for your use.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender.

United States Department of Agriculture

SEASONAL and COVID-19 CLOSURES INCLUDE:

Hume Lake Ranger District (559) 791-5758 Dunlap, Calif - [email protected]

Campgrounds Rental Cabins Popular Trails/OHV Eshom Camp 4 ½ Trailheads Hume Lake Big Meadows Guard Station Millwood OHV Staging Area Tenmile Eshom Point OHV Staging Landslide Generals Highway: Area Princess Quail Flat Restroom Weaver and Jennie Lakes Stony Creek Rowell Meadow Upper Stony OHV Staging Areas: Marvin Pass Big Meadow Millwood OHV Stony Creek Green Cabin Flat Eshom OHV Evans Grove Mill Flat Little Boulder Grove Convict Flat Deer Meadow Buck Rock Kanawyer Horse Camp Deer Cove Camp 4 Converse Basin – includes Pack Station Boole Tree and Chicago Group Campgrounds Horse Corral Pack Station Stump Aspen Hollow Logger Flat Day Use Areas: Fir PowderCan Picnic Area Cove Sandy Cove Picnic Area Eshom Hume Lake Day Use Area Grizzly Falls

Western Divide Ranger District (559) 920-0460 Springville, Calif - [email protected]

Day Use Areas Campgrounds Cabins Trail of 100 Giants Wishon Wishon Lower Coffee Camp Leavis Flat Grouse Valley Upper Coffee Camp Belknap Poso Guard Station Coy Flat Quaking Aspen Quaking Aspen Frog Meadow Group Campgrounds Redwood Meadow Mountain Home Guard Station Quaking Aspen Group White River Long Meadow Group Holey Meadow Wilderness Trailheads Lower Peppermint Lewis Camp Dispersed Camping Clicks Creek Upper Peppermint Summit Lloyd Meadow Road sites Jerky Meadow Forks of the Kern Shake Camp

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender. United States Department of Agriculture

Kern River Ranger District (760) 549-9533 Kernville, Calif - [email protected]

Upper Kern Area: Isabella Lake Area: Lower Kern Area: Limestone Campground Camp 9 Campground & Day Use Sandy Flat Campground Roads End Picnic Area* Paradise Cove Campground Hobo Campground Fairview Campground Pioneer Point Campground Delonegha Day Use Area Goldledge Campground South Fork Recreation Site* Democrat Day Use Area* Corral Creek Picnic Area Old Isabella Recreation Site* Upper Rich Bar Day Use Hospital Flat Campground Auxiliary Dam Recreation Site Area Thunderbird Group Campground Hungry Gulch Campground Lower Rich Bar Day Use Camp 3 Campground Boulder Gulch Campground Area Halfway Group Campground French Gulch Group Campground* Live Oak Day Use Area Headquarters Campground Tillie Creek Campground & Group Riverkern Beach Picnic Area Campground Live Oak North and South Campgrounds

*Launch Sites remain open at these sites.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender.