Road Information

 

General Information about Park Roads

Vehicle-length limits and advisories are in place on some roads, including the Generals Highway. If you drive an RV or a vehicle with a trailer, check advisories before you visit.

There are no gas stations within the national parks. Be sure to fill your tanks before you enter the park, or ensure that you have enough gas to reach one of the two gas stations in the neighboring national forest: Hume Lake (open year-round) and Stony Creek Resort (open summer only). There are also no charging stations for electric vehicles.

Traffic Congestion

Record numbers of vehicles have been entering the parks. On Fridays, Saturdays, and holidays from Memorial Day to Labor Day, long lines of cars have extended from the entrance stations. On a few of the busiest days, cars have waited over an hour to get through. Parking in some areas has also become crowded.

If you're planning to visit, learn how to minimize your wait at park entrances and find parking once you're here.

Driving in Winter

Access to park roads varies by season. Tire chains may be required on park roads any time it snows, usually late fall, winter, and through spring. Weather and chain control advisories can change rapidly, often multiple times per day. Learn more about chains and other winter driving information before you plan your visit. For the most up-to-date 24-hour road conditions and advisories, please call [phone] (press 1, 1).

Road Descriptions

Generals Highway from Sequoia Park Entrance to Lodgepole

The road between Hospital Rock Picnic Area and Giant Forest Museum is very curvy and narrow—use designated pullouts. Some river access is available. There is a vehicle-length advisory for vehicles 22 feet and over from Potwisha Campground to Giant Forest Museum. If your vehicle is longer than 22 feet, consider using the Big Stump entrance to Kings Canyon National Park along Highway 180. This main highway is closed occasionally during and after snowstorms for plowing or removal of debris. In winter, tire chains are often required.

Generals Highway from Lodgepole to Grant Grove

This section of the highway connects Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks, and remains open unless impassable due to weather or snowy conditions except for a few months in winter. From the Friday after January 1 to the third Friday in March, this road is unplowed and often closes due to snow. If you visit in winter and plan to drive to both Sequoia and Kings Canyon, you may not be able to travel between the parks without driving back down to the foothills. For current road conditions, call [phone]. Road closures begin just north of Wuksachi Lodge, ending at a gate near the junction of the Generals Highway and Highway 180 (near Grant Grove). In winter, tire chains are often required.

Highway 180 from Grant Grove to Cedar Grove

This road is open seasonally, generally beginning the fourth Friday in April and closing mid-November. When closed for the season, CalTrans will close Highway 180 just beyond the junction with Hume Lake Road, 6 miles northeast of Grant Grove Village. This is due to rockfall from the cliffs, which is common once temperatures fall below freezing at night. Hume Lake remains accessible year-round. Much of Highway 180 is in Sequoia National Forest-national forest updates may be available online, or call [phone].

Mineral King Road

This road is very narrow and curving and the upper portion is partially unpaved. The road is generally open from the Wednesday before Memorial Day to the last Wednesday in October. Snow removal along this road is limited to removal of drifts that block road access once the road is open. RVs and trailers are not recommended (nor permitted in the Mineral King campgrounds).

Crystal Cave Road

This road is open only when Crystal Cave is open for tours. It is generally open from mid May to late September, though it may close if the cave closes unexpectedly due to weather conditions or other hazards. Due to the damage from 2023 winter storms and the 2021 KNP Complex Fire, Crystal Cave Road remains closed for the 2024 season.

Moro Rock / Crescent Meadow Road

This road generally opens by the Wednesday before Memorial Day in late May and closes for winter once it becomes impassable due to snow. In heavy snow years, the road may open later than usual. When the road is closed, it becomes a ski trail. In summer when the free park shuttles are running (usually from late May to early September), the road closes to private vehicles on weekends and holidays from morning through late afternoon. You can park at Giant Forest Museum or any other shuttle stop and ride the free park shuttle along the road. No drinking water is available along this road. Backpackers with a wilderness permit may access this trailhead 24 hours a day, even when closed to normal traffic.

Wolverton Road

This road is generally open daily until it becomes impassable due to snow, and is then plowed from Friday to Sunday, Wednesdays, and holidays to allow access to the snowplay area at the end of the road. Wolverton is between the Giant Forest Museum and Lodgepole.

South Fork Road

This road is typically open year-round. It ends at South Fork Campground and Ladybug Trailhead. The road is unpaved beyond the park entrance and may be rough for some vehicles; it is slippery during rainy or snowy weather. The road joins Highway 198 in the town of Three Rivers, about 6 miles south of the Sequoia park entrance.

Panoramic Point Road

This road leads from Kings Canyon Visitor Center to Panoramic Point, where there is a short, easy trail to a point with wide views of wilderness lands. To find the road, turn into Grant Grove Village parking lot, continue past the visitor center, then turn right just before John Muir Lodge. The road is narrow, so RVs and trailers are not permitted. It generally opens on the Wednesday before Memorial Day in late May and closes when it becomes impassable due to snow. It may open earlier during years with little snow.

Redwood Mountain Road

This unpaved road leads from the Generals Highway to Redwood Mountain Trailhead. It generally opens on the Wednesday before Memorial Day in late May and closes when it becomes impassable due to weather. It may open earlier during light-snow years. It joins the Generals Highway opposite Quail Flat, south of Grant Grove.

Hume Lake/Tenmile Road

(in Sequoia National Forest northeast of Grant Grove)
Two roads lead from Highway 180 to Hume Lake, one from Princess Campground and one from Quail Flat. The road from Princess Campground is usually open all year. The road to Hume Lake from Quail Flat closes with snow and reopens in spring when snow has melted.

Big Meadows Road

(in Sequoia National Forest south of Grant Grove)
This road leads to campgrounds, trailheads, and a pack station. It usually closes with snow and is not plowed. It reopens in spring when snow melts.