Alerts & Notices

Whether hiking in the backcountry or touring along a road, travel in the mountains poses certain risks. Here you'll find the conditions you may expect and what you need to know before you go...

Road Conditions

Giant Sequoia National Monument (north) and Hume Lake Ranger District

• Search highway 180 at Caltrans (California Department of Transportation) here.
• Find current conditions through Sequoia Kings Canyon National Park here.

Weather Conditions

Regional

Current weather conditions from the National Weather Service forecast office at San Joaquin Valley/Hanford, California station here.

Local

Giant Sequoia National Monument (north) and Hume Lake Ranger District

• Pinehurst
• Park Ridge

Kern River Ranger District

• Black Rock
• Johnsondale
• Kernville
• Walker Pass
   
• Real Time Observation Monitor and Analysis Network (ROMAN)

Fire

• Southern California Interagency Fire Weather Center (FWC) Predictive Services Branch
• Northern California Interagency Fire Weather Center (FWC) Predictive Services Branch

Stage 1 Fire Restrictions go into effect May 21, 2014

Videos explaining fire restriction stages:

Web Cameras

This link from the National Weather Service provides live web camera views from several peaks located in Sequoia National Forest and surrounding areas.

Forest Regulations

Subpart A—General Prohibitions

• § 261.1 Scope.
• § 261.1a Special use authorizations, contracts and operating plans.
• § 261.1b Penalty.
• § 261.2 Definitions.
• § 261.3 Interfering with a Forest officer, volunteer, or human resource program enrollee or giving false report to a Forest officer.
• § 261.4 Disorderly conduct.
• § 261.5 Fire.
• § 261.6 Timber and other forest products.
• § 261.7 Livestock.
• § 261.8 Fish and wildlife.
• § 261.9 Property.
• § 261.10 Occupancy and use.
• § 261.11 Sanitation.
• § 261.12 National Forest System roads and trails.
• § 261.13 Motor vehicle use.
• § 261.14 Use by over-snow vehicles.
• § 261.15 Use of vehicles off roads.
• § 261.16 Developed recreation sites.
• § 261.17 Recreation fees.
• § 261.18 National Forest Wilderness.
• § 261.19 Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
• § 261.20 Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail.
• § 261.21 National Forest primitive areas.
• § 261.22 Unauthorized use of “Smokey Bear” and “Woodsy Owl” symbol.
• § 261.23 Wild free-roaming horses and burros.

Subpart B—Prohibitions in Areas Designated by [Forest] Order

• § 261.50 Orders.
• § 261.51 Posting.
• § 261.52 Fire.
• § 261.53 Special closures.
• § 261.54 National Forest System roads.
• § 261.55 National Forest System trails.
• § 261.56 Use of vehicles off National Forest System roads.
• § 261.57 National Forest wilderness.
• § 261.58 Occupancy and use.

Current Forest Orders

• Forest Order 2014_01 Annual Kern River Trail Closures
• Forest Order 2014_02 Annual Kern River Road Closures
• Forest Order 2014_03 More Kern River Road and Trail Closures
• Forest Order 2014_04 North Fork of the Kern Wild & Scenic River Camping Prohibition
• Forest Order 2014_05 Chimney Rock Seasonal Closure
• Forest Order 2014_06 Prohibits Public Nudity at Remington & Miracle Hot Springs
• Forest Order for Ranch Fire Area Closure and Map for Ranch Fire Area Closure
• Fores Order 2014_13 Closure of Kiavah Wilderness due to Nicolls Fire

Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Regulations

The U.S. Forest Service enforces California Vehicle Codes (CVC) pertaining to OHV operations on Forest Service roads and trails. To view state regulations regarding OHV, click here.

Alerts

• Campfire Restrictions In Effect

  Date(s): May 8, 2014

  The Sequoia National Forest, Tule River Reservation, and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) within the Central California District (CND) recently announced an Interagency Declaration to impose fire restrictions for all Federal and State protected lands within Fresno, Tulare, and Kern Counties effective Wednesday May 21, 2014.

  In the Sequoia National Forest and Giant Sequoia National Monument campfires and barbecues are only allowed in developed campgrounds or areas designated as exempt from fire restrictions.  A list of designated exempt areas can be obtained here

  Visitors are allowed to have a portable gas stove or lantern (with a flame on/off switch) outside developed or designated areas with a valid California campfire permit.  A campfire permit can be obtained, free of charge, at any Forest Service, CALFIRE, or Bureau of Land Management office.   

• Water Savings in Effect

  Date(s): Feb 4, 2014

  Due to the low water tables and ongoing drought, there will be water restrictions in place at several campgrounds this year.  Showers will be turned off in 2014, in order to conserve water, at: Auxiliary Dam, Pioneer Point, French Gulch Group, Hungry Gulch, Boulder Gulch, Tillie Creek and Paradise Cove. 

  These restrictions are intended to keep potable water available at the campgrounds for as long as possible through the summer.

Closures

• Shirley Fire Road and Trail Closures Lifted

  Date(s): Jun 16, 2014

  The Shirley Fire is a wildfire that began on 6/13 on the Kern River Ranger District of the Sequoia National Forest.  Due to the forest fire, several roads and trails were closed, but have now re-opened.  Please see these documents for more information:

  • Shirley Fire Road Closures Lifted (6/26/14)
  • Shirley Fire Road Closure Forest Order (pdf)
  • Shirley Fire Road Closure Map (pdf)

Public Notices

Forest Order No. 14-08 Sequoia National Forest Fire Restrictions

In response to the increasing high fire danger, the Sequoia National Forest, Tule River Reservation, and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) within the Central California District (CND)  announced today, an Interagency Declaration to impose fire restrictions for all Federal and State protected lands within Fresno, Tulare, and Kern Counties effective Wednesday May 21, 2014.

In the Sequoia National Forest and Giant Sequoia National Monument campfires and barbecues are only allowed in developed campgrounds or areas designated as exempt from fire restrictions.  A list of designated exempt areas can be obtained from Forest Service offices or here.

Visitors are allowed to have a portable gas stove or lantern (with a flame on/off switch) outside developed or designated areas with a valid California campfire permit.  A campfire permit can be obtained, free of charge, at any Forest Service, CALFIRE, or Bureau of Land Management office.