Latest news with #SequoiaParksConservancy
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
Explore Crystal Cave as it reopens at Sequoia National Park for this season
Inside Look is a Fresno Bee series where we take readers behind the scenes at restaurants, new businesses, local landmarks and news stories. After a four-year closure due to natural disasters, Crystal Cave in Sequoia National Park reopened to the public this weekend in time for Memorial Day, the unofficial start of the summer. Crystal Cave is located near the Giant Forest area and has been one of the most popular visitor destinations in the park since it opened for public tours in 1940. Since the announcement earlier this year that the cave was reopening for the 2025 season, 'the response from the public has been overwhelming,' said Nicole Stivers, marketing and communications director for Sequoia Parks Conservancy. 'It's a beautiful reminder of how people value these experiences in our national parks,' Stivers said. For people in the Central Valley, Crystal Cave has been just more than a tour or a rite of passage. 'It's a portal to something extraordinary,' Stiver said. 'A hidden world beneath the forest floor with cool air, sparkling formations and fairy pools.' Guided tours tickets for the first several weeks of the 2025 season — which runs from May 23 to Sept. 7 — are sold out, Stivers said. She said one-third of the entire season has been sold as of May 22. Tours are from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and can be booked online only. Tickets will not be available for purchase onsite. Before its closure due to wildfires, floods and other nature incidents, an average of 51,000 people visited the cave each summer, according to the conservancy. Clay Jordan, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks superintendent, said the reopening of Crystal Cave is not only a milestone but a big step toward recovering from 'the most unprecedented national disasters in the park's 135 years history.' For example, the road and infrastructure leading to Crystal Cave were greatly impacted by the KNP Complex wildfire in 2021, and again during the severe winter storms in 2022 and 2023, which created unsafe conditions for visitors. The cave closed in 2020 due to COVID and was affected by the Castle Fire that year, as well. While the cave reopened for the 2021 season with limitations due to COVID mitigations, the season was cut short because the KNP Complex fire left 'a much more catastrophic impact to the park's infrastructure,' Jordan said. According to Jordan several projects over the last three to four years helped restore access, including power line replacement, road stabilization, and clearing hazardous trees along Crystal Cave Road. About 4,800 hazard trees have been removed along the route to the cave. 'Although we are still under construction, we are happy that we could get this open at the earlier possible time in order to restore access for people to be able to experience (Crystal Cave,' Jordan said. As crew continue to remove felled hazard trees along the roadway, visitors to the cave can expect traffic delays throughout the 2025 season. Road construction and other projects are expected to continue after the season ends. The reopening of the cave is 'a celebration of resilience and the deep love so many people have for this National Park and this place,' Stiver said. 'This moment in time, has been a labor of love to get here,' said Savannah Boiano, executive director of the Sequoia Parks Conservancy. Boiano called the reopening a 'historic moment' that represents the next chapter in the legacy of the national park. 'Crystal Cave is not only a source of inspiration to visitors. It's a place where they become active participants in conservation and stewardship,' said Boiano. 'We're not just restoring access today, we're ensuring the sustainability of this ecosystem for future generations.' According to Boiano, more than 450 visitors a day will be able to experience the cave this season. The cave is operated by Sequoia Parks Conservancy, the nonprofit partner of Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks that manages the park stores inside the visitor centers. The conservancy has served as the tour operator for Crystal Cave since 1982. Is This Tour Right for You? Crystal Cave does require physical exertion. It may not be suitable for everyone. The cave trail is a challenging and steep hike. Visitors with claustrophobia, heart/respiratory conditions, or recent surgery should reconsider the tour. Young children must be able to walk on their own (no strollers or baby backpacks allowed). All visitors assume the risk for personal injury and property loss. The park is not responsible for lost or stolen items. Trip Preparation Checklist Tour duration: 2 hours total Hike: 1⁄2-mile round trip with steep terrain and stairs Inside the Cave: Cold (50°F), damp, and dark Before You Go Crystal Cave tour ticket does not include park entry fee. Buy your park pass in advance at Fuel up. There's no gas in the parks. Stay hydrated. Bring your own water — none is available at the cave. Wear sturdy, non-slip shoes. The trail and cave can be slippery. No pets. They're not allowed on trails, in the cave, or left in vehicles. Dress in layers. It's cool in the cave, even if hot outside. Flashlights and sunscreen are optional. Getting There Crystal Cave is near Giant Forest in Sequoia National Park. Drive with care. The area was heavily impacted by wildfire and storms. Restoration is ongoing. The cave road closes 1 hour after the final tour. Check-In Process Arrive 15 minutes early with your confirmation email or QR code. Restrooms are in the parking lot (none on the trail or in the cave). Leave bags and hiking sticks behind before entering the cave. Photography is allowed, but no flash, tripods, or selfie sticks. Before entering, you'll step in a solution to protect bats from White-nose Syndrome. The Trail 15–20 minute hike to cave entrance. Steep, paved trail with stairs — not wheelchair accessible. Watch out for poison oak, bees, rattlesnakes, and falling rocks.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Yahoo
Sequoia National Park's Crystal Cave to reopen after wildfire, winter storms shuttered it for years
THREE RIVERS, Calif. – Crystal Cave in Sequoia National Park will reopen on Memorial Day weekend after wildfires and winter storms led officials to close the site for four years. Officials said the KNP Complex wildfire in 2021 and severe winter storms between 2022 and 2023 in Central California created unsafe conditions for those visiting the marble cave. Ever since the severe weather events shuttered the cave, a number of projects have been initiated to restore access to the geological feature, according to the National Park Service. Workers have replaced power lines, stabilized the road and cleared more than 7,000 hazardous trees along the road to Crystal Cave. Park officials noted that removing the felled hazard tree may create traffic delays for park visitors this year, and that work will continue beyond the 2025 season. How To Watch Fox Weather The NPS noted that an average of 51,000 people visit Crystal Cave every summer. "The opening of Crystal Cave is a big step forward in disaster recovery for Sequoia and Kings Canyon," said Clay Jordan, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks superintendent. "We're excited to be able to reopen this incredible attraction to visitors and encourage people to enjoy all of the beauty and wonder these parks have to offer." Visitors can only see Crystal Cave through guided tours due to fragile features in the cave, according to the NPS. Mammoth Cave National Park Struck By Kentucky Flooding Guided tours will be available from May 23 to Sept. 7, and tickets for the tours can be purchased in advance at the Sequoia Parks Conservancy website. Officials noted that tickets will not be available for purchase on-site. Those hoping to visit Crystal Cave are encouraged to leave plenty of time to reach it, as it takes about an hour to reach the cave parking lot from the entrance of Sequoia National Park without any traffic article source: Sequoia National Park's Crystal Cave to reopen after wildfire, winter storms shuttered it for years
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Yahoo
Sequoia, Kings Canyon National Parks are going cashless soon. Do this if you only have cash
Visitors to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks will soon no longer be able to pay with cash to enter. The national parks are transitioning to a fully cashless fee system, the National Park Service recently announced. 'Cash sales represent 14% of in-person sales in the park,' said park superintendent Clay Jordan in a statement. 'During peak season, park rangers spend up to eight and a half hours per day documenting, reporting, and transferring cash receipts. Moving to a cashless system will reduce the amount of time park staff spend managing cash and increase their availability for other work.' Mobile payments, credit cards or debit cards will be required to pay entrance fees. However, visitors who only can pay by cash do have an option. They can purchase a park pass from one of five local third-party vendors, according to the National Park Service. All entrance stations at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks will be cashless starting May 21, according to FAQs. Additionally, wilderness backcountry permit issuing stations and campgrounds will be cashless, but bookstores, lodges, markets, gift shops and restaurants will still accept cash. Cash users can purchase an entrance pass at the following locations for their Sequoia National Park visit, according to the National Park Service: Sequoia Parks Conservancy in the Foothills Visitor Center; 47050 Generals Highway #10, Three Rivers Kaweah Arts; 42249 Sierra Drive, Three Rivers Three Rivers Historical Museum; 42268 Sierra Drive, Three Rivers Cash users can purchase an entrance pass at the following locations for their Kings Canyon National Park visit, according to the National Park Service: Sequoia Parks Conservancy in the Kings Canyon Visitor Center; 83918 CA-180, Grant Grove Village Project Survival Cat Haven; 38257 E. Kings Canyon Road, Dunlap It depends. A standard entrance pass for most motorists is going to be $35. For people entering the park on bike or foot, the cost is $20 for everyone 16 years old or older. There are four more days this year where Californians — and anyone — can visit one of the hundreds of parks within the National Park System for free, including Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks. June 19 – Juneteenth National Independence Day Aug. 4 – Great American Outdoors Act signing day Sept. 27 – National Public Lands Day Nov. 11 – Veterans Day The parks are open 24 hours a day all year, however park visitor centers do have various operating hours. Visit the parks webpage on the National Park Service's website. Paris Barraza is a trending reporter covering California news at The Desert Sun. Reach her at pbarraza@ This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Sequoia, Kings Canyon are going cashless in May. Here's what to know
