Winter 2011-2012 U.S
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National Park Service Visitor Guide: Winter 2011-2012 U.S. Department of the Interior Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks & Sequoia National Forest/Giant Sequoia National Monument Welcome to the Land of Giants In This Issue Bears & food storage .........11 YOU EXPECT GIANT TREES with the U.S. Geological Survey con- All park partners, public and private, Camping ..............................4 and huge canyons—and you won’t duct scientifi c studies on park resourc- cooperate to meet a challenging mis- be disappointed. What may surprise es here. The Sequoia Natural History sion—providing for public enjoyment Exploring on your own: you is that the whole of these parks is Association runs bookstores at visitor while keeping the parks unimpaired Sequoia .............................6 even greater than the sum of its famous centers, then plows those funds into for future generations. You are the Kings Canyon & USFS .......7 parts. park education and research eff orts. most important partner! Experience Another non-profi t, the Sequoia Parks these parks and learn all you can. Your Facilities ............................8-9 Rising from 1300’ to 14,494’ (the high- Foundation, supports important proj- help is needed to preserve and share Lodging ...............................5 est elevation in the lower 48 states), ects, from outreach to trails. these treasured landscapes. these parks protect a spectacular Map ......................................8 elevational range. This span from low to high means dramatic shifts from Snowy Giant Forest and Moro Rock Park ecosystems ...................3 warm foothills to cool forests to the Phone numbers ...................2 cold High Sierra. It means diverse plants and animals living in extremely Ranger programs & varied conditions. It means steep roads snowshoe walks ...................5 and trails that climb mountains, and cold rivers that plunge down from Road information ..............12 their heights. Safety .................................10 The caretakers of this landscape are Snowplay & sledding ........6-7 also diverse. This is not one, but two national parks—Sequoia and Kings Traffi c delays .....................12 Canyon—managed by the National SIMULTANEOUS SEASONS: Winter and spring overlap here, with winter snows blanketing the peaks and forests while the foothills turn green with new growth. Be prepared for winter’s Visitor centers ......................2 Park Service as one. A national monu- frosty air and slick roads when you head uphill. If you’re not up for snow, explore the foothills. ment, which is part of a national forest, They offer year-round camping and hiking, plus wildfl ower displays that start in January when Wilderness permits ............11 borders the two parks. Researchers higher elevations lie cold and ice-bound. 2 Finding Information Telephone & Internet Visitor Centers, Book Stores, & Partners in the Parks Information Desks EMERGENCY — DIAL 911. No coins needed The following organizations work together to pro- in payphones. Cell service is very limited in most tect these lands, provide services, and publish this Each offers different exhibits and films. They parts of these parks; phone locations on pages 8-9. guide, first put out in 1974 as the Sequoia Bark. sell many items including books, maps, and Editor: NPS (Malinee Crapsey). Publisher: SNHA. postcards. All profits from purchases made in Sequoia & Kings Canyon (NPS) Printer: Willems Commercial Printing, Inc. park visitor centers go to support the parks! • 1-559-565-3341 (24 hour): Press 1 for an infor- National Park Service (NPS) mation menu, then 1 - road/weather/fire; 2 - Kings Canyon Visitor Center 1-559-565-3341, www.nps.gov/seki camping/lodging; 4 - wilderness; and more. (NPS) In Grant Grove. Daily 9am-4:30pm. Exhibits • www.nps.gov/seki Forest Service (FS) & movie in English & Spanish. Book store. Local 1-559-784-1500, www.fs.fed.us/r5/sequoia • Twitter (SequoiaKingsNPS) wilderness permits issued up to 1/2 hour before • Facebook (Sequoia-and-Kings-Canyon- Geological Survey (USGS) closing. 1-559-565-4307. National-Parks) 1-559-565-3171, www.werc.usgs.gov Lodgepole Visitor Center (in Sequoia) Sequoia Natural History Association (SNHA) Sequoia National Forest/Monument (FS) 1-559-565-3341, www.sequoiahistory.org 1-559-338-2251, www.fs.fed.us/r5/sequoia (NPS) Friday - Monday 9am-4:30pm (daily 12/23- 1/2 & starting in April). Movie about bears; exhibits Sequoia Parks Foundation (SPF) Yosemite National Park (NPS) on geology & park life. Book store. 1-559-565-4436. 1-559-739-1668, www.sequoiaparksfoundation.org 1-209-372-0200, www.nps.gov/yose Self-issue local wilderness permits outside the visi- DNC Parks and Resorts @ Sequoia (DNC) - concessioner tor center. Pay phone. 1-888-252-5757, www.visitsequoia.com California Road Conditions (CalTrans) Kings Canyon Park Services (KCPS) - concessioner 1-800-427-7623 , www.dot.ca.gov Foothills Visitor Center (in Sequoia) 1-866-KCANYON (522-6966), www.sequoia-kingscanyon.com (NPS) Daily 8am-4:30pm. Exhibits on the diverse Cell service foothills area. Book store. 1-559-565-4212. Self-issue Very limited. Some service in Grant Grove. local wilderness permits outside the visitor center. Wi-Fi Hume Lake District Offi ce (USFS) At lobbies inWuksachi Lodge, John Muir Lodge, 35860 Kings Canyon Road (Hwy 180) in the For- Make connections to your & Grant Grove Restaurant. est Service office in Dunlap, 19 miles west of Kings Canyon park entrance at Big Stump. Weekdays national park with SNHA Translations 8am-4:30pm. Maps, books. 1-559-338-2251, www.fs.fed.us/r5/sequoia The Sequoia Natural History Association commits itself to enriching visitor experiences and promot- Welcome - You may borrow a Braille copy of the Giant Forest Museum (in Sequoia) ing awareness of public lands through educational park map & guide at visitor centers. (NPS) Closed until spring. Exhibits on the Big programs, publications, and financial support. This Trees. Book store. No payphone; closest phones non-profit funds education, interpretation, Bienvenidos - Hay un folleto en Español dis- are at Lodgepole & Wolverton. research, and preservation of the natural and cul- ponible en los centros de visita. tural history at Sequoia and Kings Canyon, Devils Postpile National Monument, and Lake Kaweah. Bienvenue - Une guide officielle est disponible Cedar Grove Visitor Center (NPS) Closed for the season. Store. 1-559-565-3793. dans les centres d’information. The SNHA: • Provides the Park Partnership program Wilkommen - Eine Landkarte ist auch in Mineral King Ranger Station (Sequoia) • Operates visitor center stores deutscher sprache im Besucher-zentrum erhaltlich. (NPS) Closed for the season. Self-issue wilderness permits on the porch. 1-559-565-3768. • Provides free & low-cost school programs • Purchases supplies for ranger programs Benvenuti - La traduzione in lingua Italiana della • Operates Beetle Rock Education Center mappa e’ disponibile in tutti i centri di informazioni. • Funds exhibits & research projects • Manages Pear Lake Backcountry Ski Hut • Provides visitor information • Rents bear-resistant food canisters • Publishes park books & maps • Supports protection of black bears • Provides volunteer opportunities for park projects • Offers SFI & EdVen- ture course plus guide services • Publishes this guide Understanding Park Ecosystems 3 Change: Natural & Unnatural Unnatural Change: We often think of parks as outdoor museums. Caretaking a living ecosystem, however, Alien Invaders is very different than protecting unchanging objects. Plants and animals evolve together in communities Both natural features and human facilities may be different each time you visit. Both over time. Often they keep each other in check. are changing all the time. How we take care of those features and facilities may also affect your visit. You won’t notice the ozone monitor that works 24 hours a day, but you When species get brought in from other places, the will see other activities such as revegetation, road work, painting, or trail maintenance. newcomers may multiply wildly since the competi- Some activities may unavoidably affect you, such as smoke from a prescribed fire, tors, predators, and diseases they evolved with in campsite closures due to revegetation, or bear management. their home communities are not here. They break links in the local web of life, badly disrupting spe- The park staff uses such actions as tools to maintain the landscape and protect its cies that depend on each other. Sometimes they completely replace native plants and animals. inhabitants and visitors. Your visit gives you but a snapshot of this process; Nature decides the timing of many of these actions. They all share one goal: preservation Practice alien hygiene! Look for seeds and tiny of these parks for us all, now and in the future. animals attached to shoes, clothes, waders, equip- ment, tires, and pet fur. Wash mud from under cars and on tires before coming into the parks. The natives will thank you! Imminent Alien Threats! Star thistle is one of the most damaging non- natives in the state. Dense, thorny growth completely Prescribed fi re in a sequoia grove excludes native plants and limits wildlife movements. Fire: A Natural Change It is not yet established in these parks, but it is close! Years ago, we tried to banish fire from the land- for people, plants, and wildlife. If you recognize its yellow fl ower and scape, believing it was destructive. In sequoia thorny spines from your home or trav- groves, that meant putting out lightning-caused