Visitor Information

Passes & Permits You Can Get in Advance

American parks and monuments are some of the biggest travel bargains in the world. If you plan to visit a number of national parks and monuments within a year, a National Parks Pass, which costs $50, will save you a bundle. The passes are good at all properties under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service, but not at sites administered by the Bureau of Land Management, National Forest Service, or other federal or state agencies. The National Parks Passes provide free entrance for the pass holder and all vehicle occupants to National Park Service properties that charge vehicle entrance fees, and they also provide free entrance to the pass holder, spouse, parents, and children for those National Park Service Properties that charge per-person fees. The passes can be purchased at park entrance stations and visitor centers, or by mail order (tel. 888/GO-PARKS; www.nationalparks.org).

Also available at Park Service properties, as well as other federal recreation sites that charge entrance fees, is the Golden Age Passport, for those 62 and older, which has a one-time fee of $10 and provides free admission to all national parks and monuments, plus a 50% discount on camping fees. The Golden Access Passport, free for blind or permanently disabled U.S. citizens, has the same benefits as the Golden Age Passport, and is available at all federal recreation sites that charge entrance fees.

Available from U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Fish and Wildlife areas are Golden Eagle Passes. For $65 for 1 year from the date of purchase, they allow the bearer, plus everyone traveling with him or her in the same vehicle, free admission to all National Park Service properties, plus free admission to other federal recreation sites that charge fees. The National Parks Pass discussed above can be upgraded to Golden Eagle status for $15. You can purchase the Golden Eagle Pass at sites that honor the pass and at Forest Service offices.

You'll need a backcountry permit to camp overnight in the wilderness sections of these parks. (For details, see "Exploring Yosemite," "Hikes & Other Outdoor Pursuits in Yosemite," "Exploring Sequoia & Kings Canyon," "Hikes & Other Outdoor Pursuits in Sequoia & Kings Canyon.") Permits cost $5 per person in Yosemite and $15 per permit in Sequoia & Kings Canyon; and it's a good idea to reserve one in advance during the high season. For permits in Yosemite, call tel. 209/372-0740 or stop by any Wilderness Permit Station. In Sequoia & Kings Canyon, call tel. 559/565-3341. Information is also available online at www.nps.gov/yose for Yosemite or www.nps.gov/seki for Sequoia & Kings Canyon.

Elsewhere in the parks, the usual permits and regulations apply. All anglers over 16 must have valid California fishing licenses.

Visitor Centers & Information

The parks have three major visitor centers open year-round, some seasonal facilities, and a museum, where you can buy books and maps and discuss your plans with park rangers. In Sequoia National Park, the largest visitor center is Foothills Visitor Center (tel. 559/565-3135), just inside the Ash Mountain Entrance on CA 198. Exhibits focus on the Sierra foothills, a biologically diverse ecosystem. The Giant Forest Museum (tel. 559/565-4480) is housed in a historic building and offers extensive exhibits on giant sequoias. Lodgepole Visitor Center (tel. 559/565-4436) includes exhibits on geology, wildlife, air quality, and park history. It's located 4 1/2 miles north of Giant Forest Village, and is closed Tuesday through Thursday in winter. The Kings Canyon Visitor Center in Grant Grove, Kings Canyon National Park (tel. 559/565-4307), includes exhibits on logging and the role of fire in the forests. Open summers only is a small visitor center at Cedar Grove in Kings Canyon and a ranger station at Sequoia's Mineral King, where you can get backcountry permits and information.