The Cedar Grove area of Kings Canyon National Park is scheduled to reopen on May 9.
Closures initially came in mid-September as the KNP Complex Fire burned 138 square miles in the Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks, along with the adjacent Sequoia National Forest, killing thousands of sequoias.
The fire was finally contained after about three months, in December 2021, but closures remained due to the damage it caused.
Cedar Grove was originally been scheduled to open on April 22 but was delayed due to a significant rockslide on a portion of Highway 180 in Sequoia National Forest.
Meanwhile the Generals Highway between Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks also reopened to the public in March for the first time since the KNP Complex Fire tore through the area.
Although the area will reopen, services in Cedar Grove will not be open until later in May, including the visitor center and market, the National Park Service said.
“This is the time of year when snowmelt makes rivers in the parks swift, cold and dangerous,” the agency warned Thursday. “Warmer weather can make rivers an appealing place to recreate, but we urge visitors to be cautious.”
The NPS also urged park goers to avoid getting too close to the river’s edge as rocks can be slippery. Most river fatalities are from visitors unintentionally falling into the river, the agency said.
PG&E will be in the Cedar Grove area this summer to complete a project started in 2021. Visitor impacts should be minimal, but there may be traffic delays of up to 15 minutes in May and June.
More information about services and things to do in Cedar Grove can be found here. For the most current road conditions, call the parks’ information line at 559-565-3341.
