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Forest Service Maps
The US Forest Service publishes a variety of maps covering the greater Sequoia and Kings Canyon region. National Forest maps are suitable for trip planning and driving to trailheads. USFS wilderness maps can be used on the trail. Maps can be purchased online (www.nationalforeststore.com) or from ranger stations and visitor centers.
John Muir Wilderness and Sequoia and Kings Canyon Wilderness: A three-sheet set of topographic maps suitable for backcountry use, covering nearly every trip described in this guide (exceptions include Grant Grove and Redwood Mountain, 1 inch = 1 mile, $12).
A Guide to the Monarch Wilderness and Jennie Lakes Wilderness: A topographic map covering the two wilderness areas along the southwest border of Kings Canyon National Parks (2 inches = 1 mile, $8).
Golden Trout Wilderness and South Sierra Wilderness: A topographic map of the wilderness areas south of Sequoia National Park (1 inch = 1 mile, $8).
Inyo National Forest: Covers the entire Inyo National Forest (0.5 inch = 1 mile, $12).
Sequoia National Forest: Covers the entire Sequoia National Forest (0.5 inch = 1 mile, $9).
Sierra National Forest: Covers the entire Sierra National Forest (0.5 inch = 1 mile, $9).
Other Maps
The SNHA publishes a set of four, foldout maps with concise descriptions of popular dayhikes in the Cedar Grove, Giant Forest, Grant Grove, Lodgepole, and Mineral King areas of the parks. You can purchase these maps online (www.sequoiahistory.org) or at park visitor centers and stores ($3.50 each). Both Tom Harrison Maps (www.tomharrisonmaps.com) and National Geographic (www.nationalgeographic.com) publish additional maps for the Sequoia and Kings Canyon region.
Wilderness Permits
With the exception of entering the Whitney Zone via the Mt. Whitney Trail from Whitney Portal, dayhikers do not need a permit for the national parks or national forests. Hikers who plan on traveling into the Whitney Zone, a roughly 5-mile by 2.5-mile area of the John Muir Wilderness that borders Sequoia National Park along the Sierra Crest, will need to procure one of the 100 day-use permits that Inyo National Forest issues each day. Day-use permits can be reserved through a lottery held each year in February, subject to a $15 per person fee. The Eastern Sierra Interagency Visitor Center at the junction of US 395 and Highway 136 south of Lone Pine issues any unused permits free. Consult the Inyo National Forest website (www.fs.usda.gov/inyo) for further information.
Overnight Trips
All overnight users entering the backcountry in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks must get a valid wilderness permit from the ranger station or visitor center closest to the trailhead. The main park wilderness office is at 47050 Generals Highway #60, Three Rivers, CA 93271, 559-565-4239 (fax).
Approximately 75 percent of the daily trailhead quota, which is in effect from late May through September, is set aside for reserved permits. Beginning March 1, permits can be reserved up to two weeks in advance of departure. Permit forms can be downloaded from the park website (www.nps.gov/seki) and either faxed or mailed when completed to the wilderness office (the NPS plans to set up an online reservation system by 2012). A $15 per person fee must accompany your application (VISA, MC, check, or money order). Reserved permits can be picked up from the issuing station after 1 p.m. the day before departure and will be held until 9 a.m. the morning of the trip. You must notify the ranger station if you are will be picking up your permit past this time since reserved permits are released to first-come, first-served backpackers at that time.
The remaining 25 percent of the daily trailhead quota and any cancelled reservations are available for free walk-in permits, beginning after 1 p.m. the day before departure. Unclaimed reservations may become available after 9 a.m. the morning of a trip.
Wilderness permits are required year-round for all overnight visits, and all trails entering wilderness areas in Inyo National Forest have quotas in effect. The quota period for overnight stays in John Muir Wilderness is between May 1 and September 15. The quota period for overnight stays in Golden Trout Wilderness is between the last Friday in June through September 15. Outside of the quota period, backpackers can self-issue permits from Forest Service ranger stations and visitor centers. Up to 60 percent of the quota can be reserved up to six months in advance for $5 per person (Inyo National Forest plans to have an online reservation system in place by 2012). The remaining 40 percent is available as free walk-in permits, available from any USFS ranger station or visitor center, one day ahead of the departure date. Contact the Wilderness Permit Office (760-873-2483) for more information.
Day hiking and backpacking permits for entry into the Mt. Whitney Zone are issued through a lottery system (see Trip 95).
Westward view from Mt. Whitney (Trip 95)
Winter in the Sequoia and Kings Canyon Area
While most recreationists visit the Sequoia and Kings Canyon area in the summer and some during the shoulder seasons of spring and fall, winter can be a magical time to enjoy a wide range of activities.
Hiking and Backpacking
Although the greater Sequoia and Kings Canyon region doesn’t provide an abundance of off-season hiking and backpacking opportunities, a few possibilities do exist. A handful of trails in the foothills region of Sequoia National Park offer some year-round, snow-free hiking (see Trips 1, 18–22, and the initial segments of 23–24). At least one of the nearby campgrounds remains open all year, and lodging is available both inside the park and in the nearby town of Three Rivers.
Snowshoeing and Cross-Country Skiing
During winters of average snowfall, recreationists can enjoy snowshoeing and cross-country skiing opportunities in both parks. Marked trails in the Giant Forest and Lodgepole areas of Sequoia National Park lure snow lovers each winter, as do similar winter trails in Grant Grove in Kings Canyon National Park. More adventurous winter enthusiasts with the requisite winter skills will have a huge area of backcountry mostly to themselves, where an unlimited number of multiday excursions are possible. Late winter and early spring, with increasing daylight and more stable weather, can make the snow-covered High Sierra a fine place for backcountry pursuits. Anyone desiring to stay overnight in the parks backcountry or surrounding wilderness areas must secure a self-issue wilderness permit from a visitor center or ranger station. Be sure to check with rangers about restrictions and current conditions before embarking into the backcountry.
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