A small section of Sequoia National Park will reopen Thursday/NPS

A small section of Sequoia National Park, which has been closed since mid-September by wildfires, is set to reopen Thursday.

At 7 a.m. local time Thursday the park will open the Foothills area of Sequoia from the Ash Mountain Entrance Station to the Hospital Rock Picnic Area, roughly six miles up the Generals Highway.

This reopening will include the Foothills Visitor Center, Tunnel Rock, and some area trails. Several Foothills trails and river access points will remain closed due to fire risks and damage. Access to Giant Forest, Lodgepole, and the General Sherman Tree remains closed. 

Foothills areas that will remain closed at this time include Potwisha Campground, Buckeye Flat Campground, Marble Falls Trail, Paradise Creek Trail, and the Potwisha-Hospital Rock Trail. The Generals Highway from Hospital Rock through Sequoia National Park will remain closed. The Generals Highway between Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks also remains closed.  

Visitors can visit giant sequoias in Grant Grove of Kings Canyon National Park, including the second largest tree in the world, the General Grant Tree. Kings Canyon National Park is largely open and can be accessed from the Big Stump Entrance Station on Highway 180. Azalea Campground, Panoramic Point, Big Stump Picnic Area, Kings Canyon Visitor Center and Park Store, and market are also open. Cedar Grove is open, but will close for the season on Monday, November 15. 

The two parks will continue to work towards reopening other areas and services. Fire recovery efforts are ongoing and include hazard tree removal along roads, buildings, and parking lots, soil stabilization along the Generals Highway, and other infrastructure and wastewater system work that is critical for a safe return of residents and visitors to the area. Chainsaw operators from across the National Park Service are currently in the parks to assist in these efforts. Much of this work is based on initial findings of the Burned Area Emergency Response team.  

The BAER team was in the parks in October to complete the post-fire assessment. The primary objectives of the BAER team were to assess the need for and prescribe cost effective post-fire stabilization measures necessary to protect human life, property, and critical, natural, and cultural resources. BAER teams are interdisciplinary, comprised of specialists in all related fields from federal, state, local and private organizations. Initial findings were shared with park staff in early November, and a final report is forthcoming. Final report findings and information will be made available to the public when they are available.  

For detailed information of what is currently closed and open in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks visit their joint website.