• 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 Conditions (Entire Park) and Road Construction Delays (if Entering/Exiting Hwy. 198)

    Expect 20-minute to 1-hour construction delays on main road through parks (Generals Hwy) until Memorial Day weekend (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.

Accessibility

Please read important park alerts by clicking the red tab above before you come to the parks.

 
Woman in wheelchair with ranger and other visitors viewing a sign on an accessible trail
Many park facilities offer accessibility features.
NPS Photo
 

Each visitor center and campground has an accessible restroom. The Giant Forest Museum also has an accessible restroom inside. Some campsites and picnic areas have extended picnic tables.

All shuttle buses operating in the parks are wheelchair accessible. Some buses are kneeling and others have mechanical lifts.

Accessible trails that meet ADA Standards (Americans with Disabilities Act) for wheelchair accessibility are:

  • The General Sherman Tree. Handicapped accessible parking and trail can be found along the Generals Highway.
  • The Big Trees Trail. Handicapped accessible parking and trail along the Generals Highway.
  • Zumwalt Meadow Trail. Located in Cedar Grove. The portion of the trail from the parking lot to the boardwalk is wheelchair accessible.

Accessibility of other trails will depend on individual abilities and may require upper-body strength. The following trails are paved:

  • Beetle Rock Trail (Giant Forest)
  • Crescent Meadow Trail (Giant Forest)
  • Trail to Tharp's Log (Giant Forest)
  • Grant Tree Trail (Grant Grove)
  • Roaring River Falls Trail (Cedar Grove)

Temporary accessibility placards are available at park visitor centers for use within the Giant Forest area. Ask at visitor centers for information.

A Braille transcription of the park map brochure is available for loan from park visitor centers.

In addition, we are working to make audiovisual programs accessible to people with disabilities. Beginning in November 2011, we will be working to provide captioning, audio description, and assistive listening devices for audiovisual programs in visitor centers, auditoriums, and amphitheaters. The project is scheduled to be completed in summer 2012.

Other trails will be brought into ADA accessibility compliance in the future.

 

Did You Know?

Sequoia fire scar.

The large black areas at the base of many sequoia trees are fire scars. Even though fire may eat into the very heart of a sequoia tree, the tree can survive so long as the fire doesn't kill the living tissue all the way around the tree. Over time, the fire scars gradually heal over and disappear.