Giant Forest / Wolverton Snowplay Area / Lodgepole / Wuksachi / Moro Rock Areas – OPEN
Sequoia National Park – June 2, 2023 – Good news today from Sequoia National Park ahead of the weekend. they have now opened the Northern Entrance into Seqouia National Park up to the Giant Forest Museum.
Giant Forest / Wolverton Snowplay Area / Lodgepole / Wuksachi / Moro Rock Areas – OPEN (Access only from Kings Canyon via Hwy 180)
- Access Via Highway 180 Through the Kings Canyon/Big Stump Entrance Station: Generals Highway from Highway 180 to the Giant Forest is now open. This is currently the only way to reach the Giant Forest/Lodgepole/Wuksachi areas.
- Access Via Highway 198 Through the Foothills Entrance Station: Estimated timeframe for Reopening is early July 2023.
The Giant Forest area of Sequoia National Park, home to the General Sherman Tree, the largest tree in the world (by volume), will reopen to the public on Friday, June 2. This area closed in early March in advance of what would become a catastrophic series of storms, 84 days ago. Those storms left behind severe road and infrastructure damage that continues to impact public access.
Access to the Giant Forest and Lodgepole areas will only be possible from Kings Canyon National Park, via the Big Stump entrance station on Highway 180. It is not possible to reach this area or giant sequoias from the Sequoia National Park entrance station on Highway 198 in Three Rivers. The section of the Generals Highway between the foothills area and the Giant Forest in Sequoia National Park remains closed and under active construction. This section of highway is estimated to reopen July 1.
Visitors are advised that although the Generals Highway from Grant Grove in Kings Canyon National Park to the Giant Forest has temporary repairs to restore public access, these repairs require caution and slower speed limits until permanent repairs are done later in the season.
What to expect in the Giant Forest/Lodgepole Area
The free park shuttle service will be in operation from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. This enables visitors to find parking and then explore the most popular sites via shuttle. Consider parking at Lodgepole Campground in the large lot just beyond the campground kiosk, then riding the shuttle to features in the Giant Forest area.
The Moro Rock/Crescent Meadow Road, leading to popular sites like Moro Rock and Tunnel Log, is closed to public vehicles on weekends and holidays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visitors can access these areas by shuttle or foot. This road is open to public vehicles Monday through Friday when the area is typically less congested.
No camping will be available in this area until later in June. Reservations for Lodgepole Campground and other park campgrounds are required and can be made on Recreation.gov.
This year more than ever, we urge visitors to plan their trips in advance and become familiar with what areas are open. Many areas and services in the parks that would typically be open this time of year may remain closed through this summer season. For detailed information about where to enter the parks, what’s open, things to do, wilderness permits, accessibility, services, and more, visit our website at www.nps.gov/seki.
Giant Forest Museum, together with a connecting nature trail system leading to Round Meadow and vicinity, provides a basic introduction to the primary features of Giant Forest including its giant sequoias, meadows, and human history. The renovation of the historic Giant Forest market building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, began in 1999, and conversion to a museum and visitor center was completed in summer 2001.
Designed to serve as the starting point for visits to the grove, Giant Forest Museum provides an opportunity to learn the story of the giant sequoias and Giant Forest. Self-guiding interpretive trails lead from the museum to the Round Meadow and Hazelwood areas. Parking lots for the Giant Forest Museum, accommodating up to 240 vehicles.
