NPS houses at Wilsonia in Kings Canyon National Park are being offered in a land swap/NPS

Here's an enticing offer: If you own vacant land within the boundaries of Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks, you might be able to swap it for a residential property the National Park Service owns in the Wilsonia Historic District in Kings Canyon.

Through January 15, 2019, the Park Service is seeking "Expressions of Interest" from landowners who might be interested in such a swap. There are 11 properties with residential cabins in the historic district that is near Grant Grove in Kings Canyon.

The Park Service's intent is to find individuals who will preserve the cabins within the Wilsonia District. All historic properties that are exchanged through this process are to be maintained in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.

Under the offer:

• All proposals received between November 15 and January 15, 2019, will be considered by NPS.
• If multiple proposals are received for the same federal property, the NPS will evaluate all of the proposals and select the private property with the highest resource values to the parks.
• If the resource values are deemed equal for the offered private properties, the private property will be selected on a first received, first selected basis.
• The superintendent will notify in writing each respondent on the status of their proposal by February 15, 2019.
• The NPS may elect to move forward with the exchange, as proposed, or may seek additional information before making a determination on whether to proceed with the proposal.

The land exchanges are part of the implementation of the Plan for the Disposition of NPS-owned Cabins within Wilsonia, approved on February 13, 2014. 

Established in 1918, Wilsonia is currently comprised of 200 privately owned tracts totaling 58 acres. Most tracts are small, individual cabin sites. Two tracts totaling 19 acres are owned by the Masonic Family Club and are used as a private resort for members of the organization. There are 205 separate structures of more than shed size, 166 of which are single-family dwellings for at least part of the year. A few of the homes are used as year-round residences. Most homes are on one-tenth acre lots.

More information, as well as the land exchange proposal form can be found at this page.