Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks Fees & Reservations

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks may be known as the “Land of the Giants”, but I’m telling you there’s nothing giant about the entrance fees, the entrance fees to the park are very reasonable indeed, in fact, sometimes you don’t have to pay anything at all. Keep in mind also that a good 80% of the fees you pay for entrance to the parks, camping and other stuff stay at the park to pay for maintenance and improvements, road repairs, trails, picnic areas, campgrounds etc.

Private Entrance Fees to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks

Vehicle pass – a private vehicle can enter the parks for a fee of only $20 which includes all passengers and is valid for a full seven days. This pass is valid for Kings Canyon, Sequoia, Giant Sequoia National Monument and Hume Lake District of Sequoia National Forest.
Individual entry pass – anyone hiking, cycling, motorcycling to the park, or members of a non-commercial organized group have to pay $10 per person. Again this fee is valid for seven days and for the same areas as the vehicle pass.
Sequoia and Kings Canyon Annual Pass – anyone who is lucky to live close enough to visit these great parks frequently will be interested to know that for only $30 you can visit all of the above attractions for a whole year from the month of the purchase. That includes all passengers who are with you in a private vehicle.

Commercial Entrance Fees to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks

These are valid only for the day of purchase. The price depends on the size of the commercial vehicle, ie the passenger carrying capacity.

Vehicles with a passenger capacity of 1 – 6 people – $25 + $10 for each passenger
Vehicles with a passenger capacity of 7 – 15 people – $75
Vehicles with a passenger capacity of 16 – 25 people – $100
Vehicles with a passenger capacity of more than 26 people – $200

Entrance Fee Free Days to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks

I did say that you can enter the parks for free on certain days of the year, and I wasn’t kidding. These are the dates and days for 2013, but every year it’s pretty much the same.

Martin Luther King Jr Day – 21 January
National Park Week – 22 through 26 April
National Park Service Birthday – 25 August
National Public Lands Day – 28 September
Veterans Day Weekend – 9 through 11 November

Just remember that although it’s mighty tempting to visit the parks on free days, for you and everybody else so it’s likely to be a little busier than on pay to enter days.

Camping at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks offer some terrific camping opportunities, with a choice of 14 different campgrounds – most of them are on a first come, first served basis, although reservations are accepted (and advisable during peak times) for some of the camping grounds.

Campgrounds do tend to fill up on Saturday nights during July and August, so if you have the opportunity to visit during the week you’ll have a better chance of finding a camping site. Check out time is 12 noon, and all campgrounds have a picnic table, a fire ring and grill plus a bear proof food storage box. None of the parks have hook-ups but there are dump stations situated at two of the following sites – Lodgepole and Potwisha.

Potwisha Campground – is located around 4 miles from the entrance to Sequoia National Park on the Middle Fork of the beautiful Kaweah River. This camping ground is generally very hot in the summer and generally free of snow during the winter time.

Open all year
Reservations not accepted, first come, first served
42 sites
$18 per night
Rest rooms with flush toilets
No showers
One accessible site available

Buckeye Flat Campground – is also approximately 4 miles from the entrance to Sequoia National Park on the Middle Fork of the beautiful Kaweah River.

Open from 23 March through to 26 September
Reservations not accepted, first come, first served
28 sites
$18 per night
Tents only
Rest rooms with flush toilets
No showers
One accessible site available

South Fork Campground – is on South Fork Drive from Highway 198, around 13 miles along that road.

Open all year
No reservations, first come, first served
May – October $12 per night
Other months free of charge
10 sites
Tents only
Vault toilets
No showers
No drinking water

Now you know why you’re provided with a bear proof storage locker – use it!

Atwell Mill Campground – located on the Mineral King Road from Highway 198, around 19 miles from the highway. The campground has a great situation on the East Fork of the Kaweah River.

Open from Memorial Day Weekend to end October
No reservations, first come, first served
$12 per night
21 sites
Tents only
1 site suitable for wheelchairs
Pit toilets
Water available until mid October only

Cold Springs Campground – is located approximately 23 miles from Highway 198 along the Mineral King Road. This campground is close to the Mineral King Visitor Center.

Open from late May until end October
No reservations, first come, first served
$12 per night
39 sites – 9 walk in sites
Tents only
Pit toilets
Water available until mid October only

Lodgepole Campground – is only a couple of miles from the Giant Forest Sequoia Grove, 21 miles from the entrance to Sequoia National Park.

Open from April through to end November
Reservations are accepted, and recommended
$20 per night during the summer, $18 per night during the fall and spring
214 summer sites – 16 walk in sites during fall and spring
Limited RV sites available
Flush toilets
Dump stations and water station closed from October through to mid May

Dorst Campground – located around 10 miles from the wonderful Giant Forest.

Open from late June through to Labor Day
Reservations are accepted and recommended
$20 per night
218 sites available
Water and dump station
Flush toilets
Some sites wheelchair accessible

Wolverton Winter Campground – open in the winter time only, once Lodgepole Campground has closed.

Open end November through to spring
$10 per night
Drinking water
Flush toilets
Warning – you may get snowed in for a day or two after a heavy snowfall

Azalea Campground – located only 3 and a half miles from the entrance to Kings Canyon National Park.

Open all year
$18 per night from spring through to fall, $10 per night in the winter
110 sites
No reservations, first come, first served
Flush toilets
One site wheelchair accessible

Crystal Springs Campground – located around 4 miles from the entrance to Kings Canyon National Park.

Open from late May through to mid September
$18 per night for individual sites
Group sites available at $35 per night
36 individual sites
14 group sites (suitable for 7 – 15 people)
No reservations, first come, first served
Flush toilets
One wheelchair accessible site

Sunset Campground – located 3 miles from the entrance to Kings Canyon National Park, close to Grant Grove Village.

Open from late May through to September
$18 per night for individual sites
Group sites available at $40 per night
157 individual sites
2 group sites (suitable for 15 – 30 people)
Individual sites first come, first served
Reservations recommended for group sites
Flush toilets

Sentinel Campground – located along Highway 180 only around a quarter mile from Cedar Grove Village.

Open from early May through to late September
$18 per night
No reservations, first come, first served
82 sites
Flush toilets
Horseback riding close by

Sheep Creek Campground – located along Highway 180 only around a quarter mile from Cedar Grove Village.

Open from May through to mid November (when the road will be closed)
$18 per night
No reservations, first come, first served
111 sites
Flush toilets
Horseback riding close by

Canyon View Campground – located along Highway 180 only a quarter mile from Cedar Grove Village.

Open from May to October
$18 per night individual sites
$35 per night group sites
23 individual sites
5 group sites (7 – 15 people)
No reservations, first come, first served
Flush toilets

Moraine Campground – located along Highway 108, around three quarters of a mile from Cedar Grove Village.

Open from May to October
$18 per night
120 sites
Flush toilets