• Giant Sequoia Trees

    Sequoia & Kings Canyon

    National Parks California

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  • Parks Institute Stage 1 Fire Restrictions June 1, 2013

    Due to high fire danger, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks are instituting fire restrictions inside the parks. More »

  • Road Construction Delays (if Entering/Exiting Hwy. 198)

    Expect minimal construction delays on main road through parks (Generals Hwy) through June 2013 on weekdays generally from 7 a.m.-6 p.m. See link for schedule. Call for 24-hour road conditions info: 559-565-3341 (press 1, 1, 1). More »

  • Vehicle Length Limits Have Changed in Sequoia NP (if Entering/Exiting Hwy 198)

    Planning to see the "Big Trees" in Sequoia National Park? If you enter/exit via Hwy. 198, please pay close attention to new vehicle length advisories for your safety and the safety of others. More »

  • Some Opening/Closing Dates for Services and Facilities May Change – Check Back for Updates

    Some opening/closing dates for facilities and visitor services in the parks may change due to weather or other circumstances. Call 559-565-3341 or send us an email using the "Contact Us" link below the main menu (bottom left, this page).

  • You May Have Trouble Calling Us. Use the "Contact Us" Link (Bottom Left) to Send an E-mail.

    We are experiencing technical problems receiving some incoming phone calls at the parks. We apologize for the inconvenience. Please keep trying to reach us or check this website for frequently-asked questions. The search box (top, right) may be helpful.

Cave Management Activities

Cave specialist in red suit sprays water to clean a cave formation
Cave restoration is an important part of how the parks carry out their preservation mandate.
NPS Photo
 

There are many annual and special event activities in the two parks involving caves and cave management. Restoration work in past years has involved removing at least 30 tons of blast rubble from the cave, partially restoring one entrance to the cave that had been converted into a storage room, cleaning pools that had filled with mud used to hide wires, repairing formations, and hose cleaning dirtied walls and floors. Most participants at the annual weekend event are members of National Speleological Society (NSS), Western Region and belong to "grottos", which are local NSS chapters.

Annual weekend meetings and caving trips are held for park cave Trustees. These individuals are authorized by the park to lead trips into either Soldiers, Crystal or Weisraum caves. The weekend meeting for Crystal Cave Trustees is held the first weekend of May, while the meeting for Soldiers Cave is held on the first weekend in April each year.

The Cave Research Foundation (CRF) hosts weekend expeditions to create cave maps and to conduct research into cave minerals, sediments and biology in the parks throughout the summer and fall. CRF works in Lilburn Cave, and also in caves in the Mineral King area.

The Sequoia Natural History Association (SNHA) operates and manages the commercial tours at Crystal Cave. The tours provide visitors with the rare opportunity to see a beautiful, interesting, living cave. The tour features large rooms, a stream flowing over banded marble and many beautiful cave formations. Besides the standard walking, lighted tour the SNHA also offers Historic Tours featuring characters from Crystal Cave's past, Discovery Tours that focus on the fascinating world of cave geology and Wild Tours that challenge visitors with climbs and tight squeezes far from the cave trail and light system.

Generally twice per year, the park cave management program produces a newsletter, known as the Cave Management Update. The updates keeps interested members of the public and NPS personnel informed on the activities of the Cave and Karst Management Program at Sequoia and Kings Canyon.

SEKI Caving Activity Documents

Did You Know?

Layer of air pollution seen from park views..

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!