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Significance of the park:1
Managed as one park, together Sequoia-Kings Canyon in California total more than 860,000 acres. Established in 1890, Sequoia is the second-oldest national park in the United States and protects groves of massive, stately sequoia trees now estimated to be 1,800 to 2,700 years old. General Grant National Park was set aside the same year and is the third oldest park. It eventually expanded to protect the South Fork of the Kings River, and became Kings Canyon National Park in 1940. From more than 200 caverns to chaparral foothills at 1,500 feet to alpine highlands on Mount Whitney, the tallest peak in the contiguous United States at 14,491 feet, Sequoia-Kings Canyon protects a dramatic range of habitats.
What you can see:
It is hard to miss trees as tall as 26-story buildings and more than 100 feet in circumference. Grant Grove and Giant Forest contain stands of the largest sequoias including General Sherman, the world's largest tree.
The parks also offer stunning views at places such as the granite dome of Moro Rock with peaks of the Great Western Divide visible in the distance. At Amphitheater Point, you can see the land change from oak and scrub foothills to mixed conifer forests to the high Sierra with prominent peaks.
What you can do:
More than 1.5 million people visited Sequoia-Kings Canyon in 2003. Beyond the sequoia groves, more than 90 percent of the park is remote backcountry, accessible by 800 miles of trails winding through the glacially carved Mineral King Valley or to the top of Mount Whitney. Hiking and backpacking offer chances to see meadows of wildflowers, deep canyons, permanent
glaciers, and alpine lakes. During the colder months,
visitors can cross-country ski or snowshoe in the mountains. A visitor's hike may be curtailed, depending on the air quality. Park staff post air quality information in the visitor center.
Summer Visibility: Fourth Haziest Park
No significant change 1991-2003
Average Summer Views 1999-2003: 39.2 miles
Natural Visibility: 122-158 miles2
Decades ago, you could look west from the park and see across the San Joaquin Valley to the Coastal Range located 50 miles in the distance. Today, views barely extend to the foothills. An unnatural haze ruins views from the park and of the park. From the Valley floor, you can rarely see the towering peaks of the Sierra Nevada.
Check the real-time views from the Giant Forest by
visiting the National Park Service's webcams.
Unhealthy Smog: Smoggiest Park
No significant change 1991-2003
370 unhealthful air days 1999-20033
In April 2004, EPA formally designated Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Parks as an ozone nonattainment area, with levels of ozone pollution that threaten human health. Monitors in Grant Grove and Giant Forest, two of the most popular destinations in the park, show ozone levels that can exceed those in Los Angeles.4 The park issues advisories warning visitors and staff to limit their outdoor activities during unhealthy episodes.
Ozone damages plants at even lower levels than those set to protect human health. In Sequoia-Kings Canyon, Jeffrey and ponderosa pines are among 28 plant species especially susceptible to ozone damage.5 In experiments, the seedlings of giant sequoia trees show visible damage when exposed to ozone at levels present almost constantly in the summer.6
Acid Precipitation: Ninth Most Acidic
No significant change 1991-2003
While Sequoia-Kings Canyon receives less nitrogen and sulfur pollution than other parks in the study, the park is greatly affected. The Sierra's high-elevation lakes with granite bottoms are sensitive to pollution. At the park, 90 percent of the precipitation comes in the form of snow. Streams and lakes are most at risk of acidification in the spring during snowmelt and in summer months with heavy storms, potentially placing aquatic animals such as insect larva and the California newt at risk.7
Solutions:
Enforce and strengthen our clean air laws. In the Valley, motor vehicles are a large source of the air pollution, emitting 50 percent of the smog-forming nitrogen oxides, and nearly one-quarter of the hydrocarbons.8 California must fully implement A.B. 1493 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions of vehicles statewide. The state must also fully fund the Carl Moyer Program to help reduce some of the capital costs associated with purchasing cleaner than required vehicles and equipment. In addition, passage of A.B. 198 would remove a tax loophole by which businesses get tax credits for buying large vehicles, such as diesel trucks and Hummers, whether their business requires them. It would reallocate that tax credit toward businesses and individuals who purchase less-polluting vehicles, such as hybrids.
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