The Generals Highway between Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks opened opened to the public Friday for the first time since a major wildfire last year.
The reopening allows travel between the Grant Grove area of Kings Canyon and the Giant Forest area of Sequoia.
The National Park Service cautioned that visitors should carry chains for their vehicles because a storm could bring snow to the Sierra Nevada this weekend.
Some road and trail closures along the highway may still be in effect due to impacts of the 2021 KNP Complex Fire.
The complex began as two separate fires sparked by lightning on Sept. 9. The fires merged on Sept. 17. The complex was declared 100% contained on Dec. 16, but there were continuing hazards including falling trees and rocks, and debris flows.
The fire burned 138 square miles (357 square kilometers), mostly in Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks, but also in adjacent Sequoia National Forest, county and state lands. Thousands of mature sequoias were killed.
