Campfire Regulations
Nine Lake Basin in mid-June in a high snow year. NPS Photo
KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARK
Wood fires are permitted in Kings Canyon National Park below 10,000 feet elevation except
in Granite Basin and Redwood Canyon.
SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK - KAWEAH RIVER DRAINAGE
Fires are permitted in the Kaweah River Drainage of Sequoia National Park below 9000 feet
elevation except at Hamilton Lakes, Pinto Lake, and Mineral King Valley.
SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK - KERN RIVER DRAINAGE
Fires are permitted in the Kern River Drainage of Sequoia National Park below 11,200 feet
elevation with the following exceptions:
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Crabtree Meadow within 1/4 mile of the food storage locker.
Crabtree Ranger Station Meadow within 1/4 mile of the food storage locker.
Little Claire Lake within 1/4 mile of the lake.
Little Five Lakes above 10,400 feet elevation
Lower Soldier Lake within 1/4 mile of the lake.
Milestone Basin and Kern Headwaters (north of Milestone trail junction) above
10,400 feet elevation.
Miter Basin above 10,800 feet elevation.
New Army Pass trail above 10,800 feet elevation. Fires are permitted at the camp at
the junction of New Army Pass trail and Rock Creek.
Nine Lake Basin and upper Big Arroyo above 10,000 feet elevation.
Tyndall Creek frogponds within 1/4 mile of the ponds.
Tyndall Creek crossing of the John Muir/Pacific Crest Trail within 1/4 mile of the
crossing.
Wallace and Wright Creek drainages above 10,800 feet elevation. Fires are permitted
on Wallace Creek up to Waterfall Meadow at 10,860 feet elevation.
Wallace Creek on the John Muir / PCT within 1/4 mile of the food storage locker.
Summit Lake Basin (Tule River Drainage).
Wilderness Food Storage
Food storage lockers are available for use at specified wilderness locations. Photo by Peter
Stekel
STORE FOOD (and all scented items, including garbage) IN ONE OF THESE THREE
WAYS, LISTED IN ORDER OF EFFECTIVENESS:
1. Use portable bear-proof canisters approved by the National Park Service (available
for purchase or rent at most park visitor centers and many outdoor gear stores). Canisters
are highly recommended as the preferred method of food storage throughout the wilderness.
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Canisters are required in three areas throughout the wilderness from the Friday
of Memorial Day through October 31. In Kings Canyon National Park, canisters
are required in Dusy Basin/Palisades Basin, and Rae Lakes Loop. In Sequoia
National Park, canisters are required in the Rock Creek drainage.
Additionally, the Inyo National Forest also requires canisters in other areas.
View a list of canisters and panniers approved for use in these parks. View main
sierrawildbear site.
View information on how to pack canisters.
2. Camp at an area with a metal food storage locker. Keep in mind that you must share
these lockers with other hikers; locks are not permitted on them. Carry rope for hanging food
in case the box is full or you don't camp where you intended.
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View a list of food storage locker locations in the wilderness.
3. Counter-balance method: Many people think they can protect their food by hanging it this
way. However, because bears are so adaptable, they have figured ways to obtain counterbalanced food. This method generally does not work in these parks. Only use this option if the
others are not available. If a bear gets your food, you not only go hungry and put future hikers
at greater risk, but also put a bear at greater risk of being killed.
WILDERNESS FOOD STORAGE PRECAUTIONS AND REGULATIONS:
Avoid taking odorous foods; they attract bears.
Don't leave food and containers in cars at the trailhead (including ice chests, bags, and
cans). You must use trailhead food storage lockers if they are available. If not, contact a
ranger for alternatives. Bears can break into vehicles if they see or smell signs of food.
Share food storage lockers with other campers. Store soap, sunscreen, deodorant,
toothpaste and garbage in the same way as food. Bears are attracted to anything with an odor.
You can often scare bears away by making loud noises and throwing objects before they get
to your food. Be bold, but keep a safe distance and use good judgment. Never attempt to
retrieve food from a bear. Never approach a bear or get near a cub.
Remove all food from packs and store it properly at night and any time you are away from
camp. Bears are active both day and night. Leave packs on the ground with flaps and pockets
open.
Take all your garbage with you when you leave an area.
If a bear does get your food, you are responsible for cleaning up and packing out all
debris, and for reporting it to the nearest ranger.
Note: These regulations and precautions help decrease the chance of personal injury or
property damage. However, bear damage and confrontations are still possible, even when all
guidelines are followed.
All bears in the Sierra Nevada are American black bears, Ursus americanus. This name can
be misleading, as they may be black, brown, cinnamon, or even blonde in color. The last
grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) in California was killed near Sequoia National Park in 1922. This
food storage information does not apply to areas inhabited by grizzly bears.
Climbing Mt. Whitney
Photo © by Jim Baumgardt, Image Counts, www.ImageCounts.com
Moon over Mt. Whitney.
Accessing Mt. Whitney
Many visitors to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are interested in seeing Mt.
Whitney, the tallest mountain in the "lower 48" states. However, Mt. Whitney is on the east
side of the Great Western Divide, a chain of mountains that runs north/south through the
center of Sequoia National Park, "dividing" the watersheds of the Kaweah River to the west
and the Kern River to the east. Because many of the snowcapped peaks in the Great Western
Divide reach altitudes of 12,000' (3657 meters) or higher, it is impossible to see over them to
view Mt. Whitney from any of the roads on the west side of the Sierra. The best place from
which to see Mt. Whitney is the Interagency Visitor Center on Highway 395, just south of the
town of Lone Pine on the east side of the Sierra. Highway 395 can be reached via Tioga Pass
in Yosemite National Park (open summer only), or by going around the southern end of the
Sierra from the town of Bakersfield. There are no roads across the Sierra in Sequoia and
Kings Canyon National Parks.
Know Before You Go
Mt. Whitney is the most frequently climbed peak in the Sierra Nevada, if not in the US.
Because of this, the National Park Service and the US Forest Service, who manage the
Whitney Portal Trailhead, have implemented a permit system to minimize the impact of dayhikers on the Mt. Whitney backcountry. All hikers entering the Mt. Whitney zone,
including day-hikers, are required to obtain a permit—either your park wilderness permit
if you are entering the zone from the west or an Inyo National Forest Whitney Zone permit if
you are entering from the east.
Mt. Whitney can be most directly reached by a 10.7 mile (17.1 km) trail from Whitney Portal,
13 miles (21 km) west of the town of Lone Pine on the east side of the Sierra. Ice axes and
crampons are needed in spring and early summer, but technical climbing equipment is not
usually necessary between mid-July and early October. The elevation at the trailhead is 8360'
(2550 meters). The elevation at the summit is 14,491' (4417 meters). Permits for this trailhead
must be obtained through the Inyo National Forest. Please read the reservation information
provided by the Forest Service if you are interested in going to Mt. Whitney from Whitney
Portal. Contact the Mt. Whitney Ranger District, PO Box 8, Lone Pine, CA 93545, 760-8766200, for additional information about this trailhead.
There are other routes besides Whitney Portal from which to reach Mt. Whitney. These leave
from less heavily-used trailheads, but require a longer hike to reach the summit. The High
Sierra Trail leaves from Giant Forest on the west side of Sequoia National Park, and takes a
minimum of 6 days (shuttle trip) or 10 days (round trip) to complete. The Sequoia Natural
History Association's bookstore offers books and maps for planning hikes to Mt. Whitney and
elsewhere in the Sequoia and Kings Canyon areas. Remember, backcountry permits are
required for all overnight travel in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.
Minimum Impact Regulations
Wilderness protection is the law, but it also requires your personal commitment. All members
of your group are responsible for following minimum impact regulations, both as hikers and
stock users. Violations of any of these laws can result in fines of up to $5000 and six months
imprisonment. A ranger will review these regulations with you when you pick up your
wilderness permit.
Protect the wilderness environment by following these policies and regulations:
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Pets, weapons, and motorized or mechanical equipment are prohibited in national
park wilderness.
Shortcutting trails is prohibited. Stay on trails to reduce erosion and preserve
vegetation. Do not build rock cairns or other trail markers.
Pack out (never bury) all trash.
Selecting a Campsite
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Camp at least 100 feet from water where terrain permits. Never camp closer than 25
feet to water.
Camp on bare ground, never on vegetation or in meadows. Choose a site screened
from trails and other campers if possible. Avoid sites near dead standing trees or
limbs.
Do not construct rock walls, bough beds, new fireplaces, trenches, etc.
Campfires
Wood fires are permitted in Kings Canyon National Park below 10,000 feet elevation except
in Granite Basin and Redwood Canyon.
Fires are permitted in the Kaweah River Drainage of Sequoia National Park below 9000 feet
elevation except at Hamilton Lakes, Pinto Lake, and Mineral King Valley.
Fires are permitted in the Kern River Drainage of Sequoia National Park below 11,200 feet
elevation with some exceptions.
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Use only existing fire rings; do not build new ones. Do not add rocks to existing
rings.
Use only dead and down firewood. Do not chop live vegetation or remove dead
branches from standing trees.
Fires must always be attended.
Do not burning aluminum foil, foil-lined packets, or plastic. Plastics emit toxic fumes
and foil does not completely burn.
Put out fires 1/2 hour before leaving by adding water and stirring the ashes. Don't use
dirt to put out fires.
Sanitation
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Bury human waste 6 inches deep and at least 100 feet from trails, camps and water
sources.
Purify all water from natural sources by boiling for 3-5 minutes, or use a filter that
eliminates giardia and water-born bacteria.
Never wash directly in a water source - clothes, dishes or yourself. Carry water 100
feet from the source before washing. Biodegradable soaps pollute; dispose of them
like any soap, well away from water.
Wash your hands often, especially before preparing or eating meals. Poor
hygiene is a large factor in sickness during wilderness travel.
Food Storage and Bears
When bears repeatedly obtain human food and garbage, they may become destructive and
dangerous and must be killed. To prevent this, follow these regulations:
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Food must be stored properly any time you are not preparing and eating it. Store
anything with an odor (soap, sunscreen, garbage) the same as food.
Food and related supplies (coolers, etc.) left at trailheads must be stored in metal food
storage lockers where provided. If none are available, ask a ranger for alternatives.
Items left in vehicles attract bears; property damage can result.
Some wilderness locations have metal food storage lockers.
Portable bear-proof canisters approved by the parks are required in the following
areas: Rae Lakes Loop, Dusy Basin, Palisades Basin, and Rock Creek
drainage. Portable bear-proof canisters may be rented at Roads End Permit Station
(Cedar Grove), Kings Canyon Visitor Center (Grant Grove), Lodgepole Visitor
Center, Foothills Visitor Center, and Mineral King Ranger Station.
If lockers are not available and canisters are not required, you must post a 24-hour
guard or use the counterbalance method of hanging food. Camp near hanging food to
better defend it.
If a bear gets your food, you must pack out all debris and report the incident to the
nearest ranger.
To minimize the chances of a bear getting your food, please follow these recommendations:
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Avoid bringing odorous foods.
Plan to camp, eat and hang food before dark. Leave packs on the ground, empty of
food and scented items, with the pockets open.
Make loud noises and throw things to scare bears away should they approach. Be
bold, but keep a safe distance and use good judgment. Never attempt to retrieve food
from a bear. Never approach a bear or get near a cub. Report injuries, property
damage, or unusual encounters to a ranger.
All bears in the Sierra Nevada are American black bears, Ursus americanus. This name can
be misleading, as they may be black, brown, cinnamon, or even blonde in color. The last
grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) in California was killed near Sequoia National Park in 1922. This
information does not apply to parks inhabited by grizzly bears.
Stock Use
Proper stock use is an important way for you to minimize impacts and adequately care for
your animals. Please take the time to read and become familiar with the stock use guidelines
and regulations.