• Giant Sequoia Trees

    Sequoia & Kings Canyon

    National Parks California

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  • Changes to Some Opening/Closing Dates for Services and Facilities – Check Back for Updates

    Some of the opening/closing dates for facilities and visitor services in the parks have changed due to weather and/or other circumstances. See link for details and match to locations on the park map (under "Park Tools," bottom left, this page). 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 »

  • 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.

  • Prescribed Fires Planned at Ash Mountain/Sequoia National Park (Parks' South Entrance)

    Fire crews will be working on hazard fuel reduction project at Ash Mountain (south entrance) starting May 23. There are nine small burn segments near the south entrance. The fire may be visible from the road and will produce smoke for very short periods.

Sensitive Plant Management

Evalyn's Jewel Flower growing in dry, gravelly soil on a steep slope in the foothills

Evalyn's Jewel Flower (Streptanthus farnsworthianus) grows in dry, gravelly soil on steep slopes in the foothills. It is considered a sensitive plant due to its limited distribution statewide.

NPS Photo by Larry L. Norris

Of the over 1,550 vascular plants known to occur in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, 40 have been identified as 'sensitive'. The term sensitive is applied generally here to include those species that are state or federally listed, are rare or endemic in California, are at the limit of their range, or have a limited distribution. Little is known about the status and habitat requirements of most sensitive species within the two parks. What we do know about sensitive plants is largely derived from a single systematic survey conducted during the early 1980s (Norris and Brennan 1982), and more localized surveys carried out in conjunction with construction and development projects. Additional information on the distribution of sensitive plants is compiled from other, unrelated surveys that encounter sensitive species serendipitously. Comprehensive lists of the sensitive plants either known or suspected to occur within Kings Canyon, Sequoia, or Yosemite National Parks and Devils Postpile National Monument are currently being developed. These lists will allow us to develop more effective survey strategies for detecting and describing the distribution of sensitive plants within the parks. Of specific interest are those that may be effected by disturbances such as fire suppression, prescribed burning, construction or road building, or long-term climate change

Did You Know?

Black bear.

Not all American black bears are black! Colors also include chocolate, brown, cinnamon, and even blonde. When you see a brown-colored bear in Sequoia and Kings Canyon parks, you are seeing a black bear, not a grizzly. Although a grizzly is on the state flag, none remain in the wilds of California.