Preparations are underway to reopen campgrounds in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks for the 2021 summer season. In 2020, many campgrounds remained closed, or opened with limited capacity, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For the 2021 summer season, campgrounds will require advance reservations through www.recreation.gov, which can be made up to one month in advance. This change is intended to ensure proper COVID-19 mitigations and allow campers to plan with more accurate information about campsite availability. To cover online processing costs, fees for campgrounds newly added to www.recreation.gov will increase to $22 per night, an average increase of $4 from previous years.
Current and Upcoming Campground Availability
- Azalea Campground is currently open in Kings Canyon National Park, with 19 sites available on a first-come, first served basis. Azalea is scheduled to open at full capacity on May 26, 2021, at which time it will switch to reservation-only.
- Potwisha Campground is currently open in Sequoia National Park at 50% capacity, and will transition to 100% capacity on March 31, 2021. All campsites in Potwisha Campground are reservation-only, a change from previous years.
- Buckeye Flat Campground, in Sequoia National Park, will open for the season on March 31, 2021.
- Sentinel Campground, in Kings Canyon National Park, is scheduled to open for the season on April 23, 2021.
- Lodgepole Campground, in Sequoia National Park, is scheduled to partially open for the season on April 21, 2021.
As spring continues, more campsites and campgrounds will reopen throughout the parks. Atwell Mill Campground in Mineral King and Dorst Creek Campground in Lodgepole will remain closed for the 2021 season due to hazard trees.
“We know that many people have been coming to these parks for years and years, and look forward to their camping trips all year long, while many others are eagerly awaiting an opportunity to visit and camp for the first time,” says Superintendent Clay Jordan. “Park employees are working diligently to make campgrounds safe for campers and provide the dates that people need to plan their trips.”
Scheduled campground opening dates are subject to change. As campground opening dates and other information become available, it will be posted on the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks website. Check regularly for updates at https://go.nps.gov/seki-campground-info. To make reservations, explore campsite availability, or modify an existing reservation, search for “Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks” on www.recreation.gov, or call the website using the numbers listed under their “Contact Us” section.
Now that the pandemic is over, will this reservation system be dropped? The main reason I liked Azalea Campground is because it was “first come first served” and I prefer that better than trying to commit to a camping trip date months in advance. Life is unpredictable