Spring and Summer Recreational Activities
SPRING AND SUMMER FUN
IN BEAUTIFUL SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK
Summer signals a full roster of recreational activities, visitor attractions, and services in beautiful Sequoia National Park. There are countless ways to enjoy Sequoia’s stunning landscapes and famous visitor attractions, including:
SPECIAL EVENTS AND SEASONAL PROMOTIONS:
Authentic Western-Style Barbecue Dinner at Wolverton Meadow
Each Wednesday through Sunday, mid-June through early September, the popular “Dinner with a Ranger” is held in the beautiful outdoor setting of Wolverton Meadow. An all-you-can-eat traditional western-style barbecue is followed by an interpretive program such as a campfire sing-a-long, meadow nature walk, wildlife talk, or living history presentation, conducted by a National Park Service Ranger. Cost for the barbeque dinner/program is $19.95 for adults and $9.95 for children 12 and under. Tickets can be purchased at the Wuksachi Lodge or Lodgepole Market.
Visitor Planning Tips from a Ranger
Each morning from 9:30 a.m. until 10:30 a.m., mid-June through early-September, a National Park Service Ranger will be available in the Wuksachi Lodge lobby offering advice to help visitors plan their day and get the most out of their park visit.
Saturday Evening Interpretive Programs
Each Saturday evening from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., an illustrated program is held at Wuksachi Lodge, conducted by a National Park Service Ranger. The programs are free of charge and will cover a variety of subjects related to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.
Bearpaw High Sierra Camp seasonal opening (mid-June)
Bearpaw, a backcountry tent hotel accommodating a total of 18 guests per night, is accessible via an 11.5 mile hike into the High Sierra and overlooks the Kaweah Gorge and the Great Western Divide. Generous home cooked meals served buffet style, hot showers, pillow top beds, and down comforters await you in this unique wilderness camping experience. Advance reservations are required.
VISITOR SERVICES AND ATTRACTIONS
The Giant Forest Museum is open daily free of charge, and full of fascinating exhibits, and interactive, hands-on displays that celebrate the life of a Giant Sequoia tree. Lodgepole Visitor Center is open daily with exhibits and a free slide program on geology and forest life, plus a bookstore for reading material, maps, and keepsakes. Fishing licenses and wilderness permits are available here.
The Lodgepole Market and Gift Center is open daily for snacks, groceries, apparel, and souvenirs.
Wuksachi Lodge is open daily with exquisite alpine dining for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The cocktail lounge is also open daily, as well as a Native American themed retail shop.
Crystal Cave is open daily for 45 minute guided tours of fascinating, up-close views of limestone that has been metamorphosed into marble, curtains of icicle-like stalactites and mounds of stalagmites. Tickets are sold (only) at the Lodgepole or Foothills Visitor Centers.
Park Visitor Centers offer exhibits, books, maps, fishing licenses, and local wilderness permits.
THE GREAT OUTDOORS
A hiker's heaven, Sequoia boasts 25 trailheads leading to more than 800 miles of marked trails. Two of the most popular include the Giant Forest’s two mile Congress Trail and the Big Trees Trail, which features numerous interesting interpretive displays along an easy 2/3 mile loop (paved, fully-accessible route).
Free guided interpretive walks and evening programs are offered each week, depending on seasonal schedules. The Park’s visitor newsletter lists subjects, times, and locations.
Wildlife watching abounds with over 1,460 species of plants and more than 320 species of animals including a wide assortment of birds, chipmunks, and ground squirrels, as well as mule deer, gray fox, and black bear.
Anglers can try their luck catching Rainbow, Eastern Brook, German Brown and Golden Trout in Sequoia’s plentiful streams, rivers, and lower backcountry lakes.
Scenic picnic areas are available throughout the Park featuring tables, restrooms, fire grills, and drinking water in beautiful, natural settings.
The Sequoia Natural History Association hosts a number of interpretive weekend field seminars on such subjects as birds, wildflowers, geology, botany, photography, writing, park history, astronomy, pathfinding, and backpacking.
Rafting is available outside the park on the Kaweah and Kings Rivers.
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Media Contact: Cynthia Fontayne, (310) 821-4678
Public Information: (866) 807-3598 or (559) 565-4070 or www.VisitSequoia.com
