Special Events

Fee-Free Days

Enjoy free entry into Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in 2018!

• Monday, January 15: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
• Saturday, April 21: First day of National Park Week
• Saturday, May 5: Go Native - A Native American Cultural Celebration Event
• Saturday, September 22: National Public Lands Day
• Sunday, November 11: Veterans Day

Learn more about Fee-Free Days

Dark Sky Festival

To celebrate the special nature of Sequoia's dark skies, the Sequoia Field Institute sponsors a Dark Sky Festival every year. The event typically runs for a couple of days and features daytime educational events and presentations by astronomers and astronauts. At night, the stars are, well, the stars of the show!

Learn more about the Dark Sky Festival

Sequoia Parks Conservancy Naturalist Programs

The Sequoia Parks Conservancy offers a broad array of programs throughout the year, ranging from hikes with an expert naturalist to moonlight snowshoe walks to living history events where an SPC interpreter brings alive a character from the past.

Current and upcoming programs include:

• Wonders of the Night Sky: Spend an hour in the remarkable darkness of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks! Learn backyard astronomy tips and tricks to navigate the night sky, hear cultural and scientific stories about the stars and planets, and more. Flashlight and possibly a cozy blanket to lie on to take in the night sky suggested. All ages welcome, and children must be accompanied by an adult chaperone. Two locations offered: Meet at either Wuksachi Lodge in Sequoia National Park or at John Muir Lodge in Kings Canyon National Park for the 1-mile round trip adventure from 8-9 p.m. Held late May through mid-October.
• History Alive: Can you imagine what life would have been like for the early inhabitants of the Sierra Nevada, the Yokut and Monache Native Americans? What were the thoughts that crossed the minds of the loggers, miners, and mountaineers who first laid eyes on the big trees? Learn about the history of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks through stories from these individuals who have discovered the world's largest trees, roamed the mountain tops, and more. All ages welcome, and children must be accompanied by an adult chaperone. Takes place at Lodgepole Market Patio in Sequoia National Park from 5-6 p.m., July through September.
• Ghosts Among the Giants: While navigating the winding trails the sequoia groves or granite slopes, have your ever thought about who walked that path before you? Stories as wild and diverse as the fauna and floral of the Sierra are waiting to be discovered. Meet a character from the past as you sit by the fire, and travel back in time to learn about the history of the Parks’. You could hear tales from a miner, early explorer, past park superintendent – among others. All ages welcome, and children must be accompanied by an adult chaperone. Two locations offered: Meet at either Wuksachi Lodge in Sequoia National Park or at John Muir Lodge in Kings Canyon National Park for the 1/2-mile round trip adventure from 6-7 p.m. Held in October.

View the complete calendar for details

Ranger-Led Programs

Walk to a sequoia tree or a meadow with a ranger. Join fellow visitors for an evening program. Take the kids on a Junior Ranger walk and become a Junior Ranger yourself! The National Park Service offers a changing set of ranger programs throughout the year, with new schedules posted frequently.

Learn more about Ranger-Led Programs