NEWS RELEASE and Giant Sequoia National Monument www.fs.usda.gov/sequoia Contact: (559) 784-1500 Twitter: @sequoiaforest

Kern River Ranger District end of summer update

Porterville, CA, September 6, 2013 – Seasonal campground closures are approaching fast as the summer winds to an end. Forest Service and Land Management will begin reducing the sites available for camping as demand drops in the fall. Both the Kernville and the Office will be open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. starting September 9.

Near the Lower , Black Gulch South is closed for the season. Hobo Campground will close September 30. Upper Richbar, Lower Richbar, Live Oak, and Miracle Day Use sites are planned to close for the season in the next week. Democrat Day Use, Delonegha Day Use and Sandy Flat Campground will stay open through the winter. Sandy Flat can be found on the reservation system at www.recreation.gov.

Around Lake Isabella, Hungry Gulch and Boulder Gulch have been closed for the season. Camp 9 will remain open—its family campsites are first come, first served; and its group campsites can be reservations through www.recreation.gov. Auxiliary Dam, Old Isabella, and South Fork Recreation will stay open through the winter and can be enjoyed with the purchase of an interagency pass or a Southern Sierra Pass. Obtain a Southern Sierra Pass at Golden State Surplus, Sierra Gateway Market, Red’s Kern Valley Marina, or the Forest Service offices at Kernville or Lake Isabella. Passes may also be obtained online at www.fs.usda.gov/sequoia under the “Passes and Permits” section. Tillie Creek Campground, Day Use, and group campsites will remain open for the winter, along with French Gulch group campsite and Paradise Cove Campground (all found on the reservation system).

On the Upper Kern, Camp 3, Hospital Flat, and Goldledge Campgrounds will close September 15. Limestone will close at the end of October, and Fairview will close at the end of November. Headquarters will remain open throughout the year, and it can also be reserved by visiting www.recreation.gov.

When winter approaches, high country access will remain open as weather allows. Please check with a Forest Service office for current conditions—the Kernville Office phone number is (760) 376-3781 and the Lake Isabella office can be reached at (760) 379-5646.

Recreation areas open through the winter (see more updates at www.fs.usda.gov/sequoia):

Recreation Area Other Information Lake Isabella Visitor Center Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Kernville Office Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Camp 9 Campground First come, first served sites Tillie Creek Campground Reserve Here on recreation.gov Paradise Cove Campground Reserve Here on recreation.gov Sandy Flat Campground Reserve Here on recreation.gov Pioneer Point Campground Reserve Here on recreation.gov Headquarters Campground Reserve Here on recreation.gov Auxiliary Dam Southern Sierra or Interagency Pass Required Old Isabella Southern Sierra or Interagency Pass Required South Fork Recreation Southern Sierra or Interagency Pass Required Camp 9 Group Reserve Here on recreation.gov Tillie Creek Group Reserve Here on recreation.gov French Gulch Group Reserve Here on recreation.gov Tillie Creek Day Use Free day use area Camp 9 Day Use Southern Sierra or Interagency Pass Required Democrat Take-out Free day use area Delonegha Take-out Free day use area Stine Cove Free overnight camping (14 day limit) Hanning Flat Free overnight camping (14 day limit) Cyrus Canyon OHV Park Free overnight camping (14 day limit)

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