To our West Coast members...

[jay]

I'm not even going to pretend that I comprehend the magnitude of what the fires and such are putting you folks through.  I lived in Northern California for a while when I was a kid.  For what it's worth, my thoughts are with you.  Stay safe, everyone.

[balzaccom]

"September 14, 2020 – Sequoia National Park is implementing a full park closure at 6 am on September 15 in response to the Castle Fire on the SQF Complex. Many park staff have been evacuated from the area and for visitor and resource protection, park managers have decided to close all entrances to Sequoia National Park.

During this unprecedented fire year, park managers have had to evaluate how to best balance the responsibilities to the public as well as the mental welfare and physical safety of the staff. “With Three Rivers and the park headquarters under an evacuation notice, staff is focused on preparing to evacuate.” Acting Superintendent Lee Taylor “To ensure any pending evacuation goes as smoothly as possible we are closing the park to visitors.” Park managers send their sincere thanks and gratitude for the support received during this incident.

Kings Canyon National Park remains open at this time. Visitors will not be able to access Sequoia National Park from Highway 198 or Highway 180 out of Fresno. The Giant Forest and sequoia trees will be inaccessible to visitors. All park campgrounds will be closed with reservations cancelled and refunded. Mineral King Road remains closed at this time."

So you can enter Kings Canyon...but not via Sequoia---which means the only route of entry is via a trail...and Inyo National Forest to the east has announced that its closure will continue until at least September 21. That leaves entries from the West (Sierra National Forest...but Florence Lake and Thomas Edison are currently under evacuation orders,. or the North. The John Muir Trial would still be open..but only until you get to Sequoia National Park.