Access RE-Opened to Giant Sequoia National Monument and through Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks

HUME LAKE RANGER DISTRICT & KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Calif. – The National Park Service and the USDA Forest Service are excited to share with the public the plan and timetable for the reopening of the Grant Grove area of Kings Canyon National Park, the road between Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (the Generals Highway), and parts of the Giant Sequoia National Monument.
Starting Friday, September 18, at 8:00 a.m., the road closure at Highway 180 & 245 will be moved to the junction of Highway 180 and the Generals Highway. This will open access to drive into the Giant Sequoia National Monument and through Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Additionally, areas in the Hume Lake District south of Highway 180 and west of the Generals Highway will be open for recreation. National Forest areas east of Grant Grove, including Hume Lake will remain closed.
On Saturday, September 19, 10:00 a.m., residents of Grant Grove and Wilsonia in Kings Canyon National Park will be allowed to return to their homes. To access this area, residents must have a valid sticker or identification. Access beyond the Grant Tree Road on Highway 180 is prohibited, and access to the General Grant Tree is prohibited. The Grant Grove area of Kings Canyon National Park is not open for recreation this weekend.
Additionally, on Saturday, September 19, at 8:00 a.m., the Montecito Lake Resort will be open and the only facility open to the public at this time.
Then, Sunday, September 20, Stony Creek Resort will be for day-use only. For specifics on what is open in Sequoia National Forest and Giant Sequoia National Monument, please stop by or call the Hume Lake Ranger Station, Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., 559-338-2251, or check the forest’s website atwww.fs.usda.gov/sequoia.
Beginning Monday, September 21, at 8:00 a.m., in Kings Canyon National Park, the Grant Grove area will reopen in phases to visitors and the public:
Monday, September 21:
— General Grant Tree is open.
— Kings Canyon Visitor Center (open limited hours from 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. daily until further notice)
— Grant Grove Market (open at 10:00 a.m.)
— Grant Grove Restaurant and Gift Shop (open at 12:00 noon)
— John Muir Lodge / Grant Grove Bath Cabins (reservations/walk-ins welcome, front desk open at 12:00 noon)
— Highway 180 will remain closed just beyond the Grant Tree Road in Kings Canyon National Park.
Tuesday, September 22: The market, restaurant, gift shop, and lodging will return to normal operating hours.
Thursday, September 24: Azalea and Crystal Springs campgrounds open at 12:00 noon.
For specifics on open/closed trails or roads, please stop by any park visitor center or call 559-565-3341.
Conditions on the Rough Fire have improved greatly in the last couple of days with the fire now at 141,036 acres and 67% contained. There are 2,267 personal working on the fire across an area larger than the City of Fresno. As a reminder, both forest and park lands are still under fire restrictions. For more information on the Rough Fire, please visit http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4456/.
The Sequoia National Forest, Giant Sequoia National Monument, and Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks would like to remind visitors to take extra precautions when visiting these forests and parks. A major wildfire has gone through the area and there are still firefighters and equipment in the area. For your safety and theirs, please drive extra carefully and slowly.