Sequoia National Forest: Covers the entire Sequoia National Forest (0.5 inch = 1 mile, $9).
Sierra National Forest: Covers the entire Sierra National Forest (0.5 inch = 1 mile, $9).
Other Maps
The SNHA publishes a set of four, foldout maps with concise descriptions of popular dayhikes in the Cedar Grove, Giant Forest, Grant Grove, Lodgepole, and Mineral King areas of the parks. You can purchase these maps online (www.sequoiahistory.org) or at park visitor centers and stores ($3.50 each). Both Tom Harrison Maps (www.tomharrisonmaps.com) and National Geographic (www.nationalgeographic.com) publish additional maps for the Sequoia and Kings Canyon region.
Wilderness Permits
With the exception of entering the Whitney Zone via the Mt. Whitney Trail from Whitney Portal, dayhikers do not need a permit for the national parks or national forests. Hikers who plan on traveling into the Whitney Zone, a roughly 5-mile by 2.5-mile area of the John Muir Wilderness that borders Sequoia National Park along the Sierra Crest, will need to procure one of the 100 day-use permits that Inyo National Forest issues each day. Day-use permits can be reserved through a lottery held each year in February, subject to a $15 per person fee. The Eastern Sierra Interagency Visitor Center at the junction of US 395 and Highway 136 south of Lone Pine issues any unused permits free. Consult the Inyo National Forest website (www.fs.usda.gov/inyo) for further information.
Overnight Trips
All overnight users entering the backcountry in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks must get a valid wilderness permit from the ranger station or visitor center closest to the trailhead. The main park wilderness office is at 47050 Generals Highway #60, Three Rivers, CA 93271, 559-565-4239 (fax).
Approximately 75 percent of the daily trailhead quota, which is in effect from late May through September, is set aside for reserved permits. Beginning March 1, permits can be reserved up to two weeks in advance of departure. Permit forms can be downloaded from the park website (www.nps.gov/seki) and either faxed or mailed when completed to the wilderness office (the NPS plans to set up an online reservation system by 2012). A $15 per person fee must accompany your application (VISA, MC, check, or money order). Reserved permits can be picked up from the issuing station after 1 p.m. the day before departure and will be held until 9 a.m. the morning of the trip. You must notify the ranger station if you are will be picking up your permit past this time since reserved permits are released to first-come, first-served backpackers at that time.
The remaining 25 percent of the daily trailhead quota and any cancelled reservations are available for free walk-in permits, beginning after 1 p.m. the day before departure. Unclaimed reservations may become available after 9 a.m. the morning of a trip.
Wilderness permits are required year-round for all overnight visits, and all trails entering wilderness areas in Inyo National Forest have quotas in effect. The quota period for overnight stays in John Muir Wilderness is between May 1 and September 15. The quota period for overnight stays in Golden Trout Wilderness is between the last Friday in June through September 15. Outside of the quota period, backpackers can self-issue permits from Forest Service ranger stations and visitor centers. Up to 60 percent of the quota can be reserved up to six months in advance for $5 per person (Inyo National Forest plans to have an online reservation system in place by 2012). The remaining 40 percent is available as free walk-in permits, available from any USFS ranger station or visitor center, one day ahead of the departure date. Contact the Wilderness Permit Office (760-873-2483) for more information.
Day hiking and backpacking permits for entry into the Mt. Whitney Zone are issued through a lottery system (see Trip 95).
Westward view from Mt. Whitney (Trip 95)
Winter in the Sequoia and Kings Canyon Area
While most recreationists visit the Sequoia and Kings Canyon area in the summer and some during the shoulder seasons of spring and fall, winter can be a magical time to enjoy a wide range of activities.
Hiking and Backpacking
Although the greater Sequoia and Kings Canyon region doesn’t provide an abundance of off-season hiking and backpacking opportunities, a few possibilities do exist. A handful of trails in the foothills region of Sequoia National Park offer some year-round, snow-free hiking (see Trips 1, 18–22, and the initial segments of 23–24). At least one of the nearby campgrounds remains open all year, and lodging is available both inside the park and in the nearby town of Three Rivers.
Snowshoeing and Cross-Country Skiing
During winters of average snowfall, recreationists can enjoy snowshoeing and cross-country skiing opportunities in both parks. Marked trails in the Giant Forest and Lodgepole areas of Sequoia National Park lure snow lovers each winter, as do similar winter trails in Grant Grove in Kings Canyon National Park. More adventurous winter enthusiasts with the requisite winter skills will have a huge area of backcountry mostly to themselves, where an unlimited number of multiday excursions are possible. Late winter and early spring, with increasing daylight and more stable weather, can make the snow-covered High Sierra a fine place for backcountry pursuits. Anyone desiring to stay overnight in the parks backcountry or surrounding wilderness areas must secure a self-issue wilderness permit from a visitor center or ranger station. Be sure to check with rangers about restrictions and current conditions before embarking into the backcountry.
On the west side of Sequoia National Park, the Generals Highway is kept open during the winter months from Three Rivers to Wuksachi Village. The foothills area offers year-round hiking, information, and exhibits at the Ash Mountain Visitor Center, camping at Potwisha Campground, and picnicking at Hospital Rock. Farther up the road in the Giant Forest, the museum is open all year, and marked trails lead past giant sequoias, including the largest of all, General Sherman. Wolverton has a snowplay area, snack bar, and rentals. The Lodgepole Campground is open all year for those not adverse to snow camping. Wuksachi Village provides lodging throughout the year, with a restaurant, small gift shop, and cross-country ski and snowshoe rentals; ranger-led snowshoe walks are held on some weekends and holidays.
Lake 3 in Cottonwood Lakes Basin (Trip 92)
Wolverton is also the trailhead for the strenuous 6-mile route to Pear Lake Ski Hut. Equipped with a pellet stove, lanterns, propane stove, cooking utensils, and indoor toilet, the lodge sleeps ten cross-country skiers or snowshoers. Private individuals may rent the hut from the middle of December through the end of April. Reservations made through a lottery process are required. Downloadable registration forms are available through the Sequoia Natural History Association website (www.sequoiahistory.org). Using the Pear Lake Ski Hut as a base camp, winter recreationists can make forays into the dramatic scenery of the nearby Tableland area.
Access to the west side of Kings Canyon National Park is via Highway 180. The road is kept open in winter from the park entrance through Grant Grove Village to the junction with the Hume Lake Road near Princess Meadow. From there, the road is plowed to Hume Lake, where Hume