Important Dates
- September 25, 1890: Sequoia National Park established
- October 1, 1890: General Grant National Park established
- April 28, 1926: President Calvin Coolidge designated the General Grant Tree the "Nation's Christmas Tree"
- July 3, 1926: Great Western Divide, Kern Canyon, and Mt. Whitney added to Sequoia National Park
- March 4, 1940: Kings Canyon National Park established, General Grant National Park abolished
- March 29, 1956: The General Grant Tree designated a national living shrine in honor of the men and women of the Armed Forece who have served, fought, and died to keep America free
- August 6, 1965: Cedar Grove and Tehipite Valley added to Kings Canyon National Park
- November 10, 1978: Mineral King added to Sequoia National Park
- September 28, 1984: Sequoia and Kings Canyon Wilderness designated and Chimney Rock added to Kings Canyon National Park
- December 4, 2001: Dillonwood Grove added to Sequoia National Park
- March 30, 2009: John Krebs Wilderness designated and an expansion of acreage added to the Sequoia-Kings Canyon Wilderness
- August 25, 2016: Centennial (100th) Anniversary of the National Park Service
- March 4, 2025: 85th Anniversary of Kings Canyon National Park
- September 25, 2025: 135th Anniversary of Sequoia National Park
Base Budget
$19,136,282 (FY24)
Campgrounds and Picnic Areas
Standard sites (1 - 6 people, tents and/or RVS) .................. 14 campgrounds (1,192 sites)
Mid-sized group sites (7 - 19 people) .................................. 2 campgrounds (26 sites)
Large group sites (12 - 50 people) ...................................... 3 campgrounds (10 sites)
Picnic areas ......................................................................... 11 picnic areas
Make campground reservations at www.recreation.gov or call 877-444-6777.
Park Roads
Primary (paved) ................................................................... 132 miles (206 km)
Secondary (unpaved) .......................................................... 22 miles (38 km)
Trails
866 miles (1,394 km)
Caves
275 caves, cumulative length of 35 miles
Wild and Scenic Rivers
Kern River: North Fork (28.9 miles designated "Wild")
Kings River: Middle Fork (29.5 miles designated "Wild")
South Fork (24.1 miles designated "Wild" and 7.6 miles designated "Recreational")
Average Annual Precipitation
Ash Mountain: 27.11 in. total precipitation
Lodgepole: 45.58 in. total precipitation
Grant Grove: 42.26 in. total precipitation
Wettest Months:December through March
Wildlife Species
| Species |
Native |
Non-Native |
Total |
| Amphibians |
12 native |
1 non-native |
13 total |
| Birds |
193 native |
10 non-native |
203 total |
| Fish |
5 native |
6 non-native |
11 total |
| Mammals |
69 native |
4 non-native |
73 total |
| Reptiles |
21 native |
0 non-native |
21 total |
| Total |
300* native |
21 non-native |
321* total |
*Excludes species of unknown status or those that are extirpated in the parks.
Federal Listings
Native Extirpated Species: 4
- Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep, mountain yellow-legged frog, Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog
Endangered Species: 6
- Pacific fisher, Sierra Nevada red fox, California condor
Threatened Species: 2
- Little Kern golden trout, Yosemite toad
Plants
Total Species & Sub-species of Vascular Plants: 1,552 (26 deciduous tree species, 24 evergreen tree species)
Giant Sequoia Statistics
Largest tree: General Sherman Tree (274.9 ft. tall: 52,508 cubic ft./volume)
Largest grove in Kings Canyon NP: Redwood Mountain (2,558 acres)
Largest grove in Sequoia NP: Giant Forest* (2,312 acres*)
*Dillonwood-Garfield Grove may exceed this: studies needed.
Current best estimates are that roughly one-third of all naturally-occuring sequoias grow in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.
Interesting Facts
- Sequoia National Park is the second-oldest national park in the United States. Yellowstone is the oldest.
- In 1903, Captain Charles Young led the Buffalo Soldiers and oversaw operations of Sequoia and General Grant National Parks. He was the first African-American acting superintendent of any national park.
- Three of the top ten oldest species in the world live here: giant sequoias (Sequoiadendron giganteum) - 3,266 yrs., western juniper (Juniperus occidentalis) - 2,675 yrs., and foxtail pine (Pinus balfouriana) - 2,123 years. General Sherman is estimated to be around 2,200 years old.
Points of Interest
Sequoia
Location
(In Alphabetical Order By Park) |
Elevation |
Big Baldy Saddle
*Highest point along Generals Highway |
7,600 ft (2,316.5 m) |
| Crystal Cave |
4,540 ft (1,383.8 m) |
| Foothills Visitor Center/Ash Mountain Headquarters |
1,720 ft (524.26 m) |
| General Sherman Tree |
6,906 ft (2,104.9 m) |
| Giant Forest Museum |
6,409 ft (1,953.5 m) |
| Hospital Rock Picnic Area |
2,684 ft (818.08 m) |
| Lodgepole Village |
6,720 (2,048.3 m) |
Middle Fork, Kaweah River (below Park Headquarters)
*Lowest point in the parks |
1,370 ft (417.58 m) |
| Mineral King Ranger Station |
7,580 ft (2,310.4 m) |
| Moro Rock |
6,725 ft (2,049.8 m) |
| Mt. Whitney |
14,494 ft (4,417.8 m)
*Highest point in the contiguous United States. Exact elevation under debate pending ongoing study/analysis. |
| Pear Lake Ski Hut |
9,200 ft (2,804.2 m) |
| Wuksachi Lodge |
7,057 ft (2,151 m) |
Kings Canyon
Location
(In Alphabetical Order By Park) |
Elevation |
| Cedar Grove Village |
4,635 ft (1,412.7 m) |
| General Grant Tree |
6,355 ft (1,937 m) |
| Grant Grove Village |
6,589 ft (2,008.3 m) |
| Panoramic Point |
7,500 ft (2,286 m) |
More Info
Visit www.nps.gov/seki or call 559-565-3341.
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