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Making America's Best Idea Even Better
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National ParkGenerals Hwy Sequoia N.P.
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Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park
Air Quality -- Visibility
Park views are often obscured, most frequently in the summer. Contributions of air pollutants from vehicle emissions, agricultural activities, prescribed and wildland fire, and other sources of fine particles limit the visitor experience in these parks.

A good way to learn more about air quality problems in our national parks is to view the network of National Park Service webcams. The website also provides a wealth of data on air quality over time.

Go to the Giant Forest Webcam page > > >
 
Two views of the valley below the parks, one with a thick gray blanket of pollution hiding the foothills, the other with clear air showing several ranges of foothills
NPS Photos
Bad visibility from the western edge of Giant Forest in Sequoia National Park, looking west toward the San Joaquin Valley and the Coast Range. To the right is the same view on a day with good air quality.
Layer of air pollution seen from park views..  

Did You Know?
Sequoia and Kings Canyon suffer from one of the worst air-pollution problems of any national park! Pollution — particularly ozone — from the Central Valley and the Bay Area is carried up into these mountains by warm winds. It challenges all of us everywhere to clear the air!

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Last Updated: March 31, 2008 at 15:23 EST