Visitors Centers

Sequoia has a variety of visitor centers, nature centers, and information and wilderness permit stations. Not all are open year-round.
They are listed below in the order in which you would encounter them as you go from south to north on the Generals Highway (the main park road).

Foothills Visitor Center
Open daily.

Location: On the Generals Highway (main park road) 1 mile from Sequoia Park entrance at Highway 198. In the foothills oaks & chaparral; elevation 1500 feet.

Exhibits: Focus here is on the Sierran foothills, the most biologically diverse area of this park.

Services: Crystal Cave tour tickets sold until 3:45pm (summer only); tickets are NOT sold at the cave. Books, maps, educational materials for sale. Local wilderness permits issued. Bear canisters for sale or rent. Accessible restrooms. Pay phone. First aid.

Giant Forest Museum
Open daily.

Location: Housed in the historic market building, in the Giant Forest sequoia grove at 6500 feet elevation. It is 16 miles from Sequoia Park's entrance at Highway 198.

Exhibits: Wonderful exhibits offer an in-depth look at the incredible giant sequoias of Giant Forest, and what we have learned about how to protect them.

Services: Books, maps, & educational items are sold here. Fully accessible restrooms and trails are available here. Pay phone. First aid.

Beetle Rock Family Nature Center (in Giant Forest) 
Open daily July 1 to mid-August from 10 am - 4 pm with daily ranger programs at 11 am and 1 pm.

Location: Across from the Giant Forest Museum at 6500 feet elevation.

Lodgepole Visitor Center
Open early spring through late fall.
May be open weekends in winter.

Location: On Lodgepole Road, just off the Generals Highway 21 miles (34km) from the Sequoia Park entrance on Highway 198, 2 miles north of the General Sherman Tree. In the conifer zone; elevation 6700 feet.

Exhibits: Here you can explore the natural and human history of the southern Sierra Nevada. Movie - Bears of the Sierra.

Services: Crystal Cave tour tickets sold until 3:30pm (tickets not sold at cave). Books, maps, & educational materials for sale. Local wilderness permits issued. Bear canisters for sale or rent. Accessible restrooms. Pay phone. First aid.

Mineral King Ranger Station 
Location: Not on the Generals Highway, but on the Mineral King Road, 24 miles up this narrow, winding road from Highway 198 in Three Rivers (no RVs, buses, or trailers, please). The road closes from October 31 to late May.

Open late May - early September.
When the station is not open,
wilderness permits are available on the porch.

Exhibits: This small station houses some exhibits on Mineral King's human & natural history.

Services: Books, maps, & educational items are sold. Bear canisters. Local wilderness permits. Pay phone in nearby campground. First aid.

Ranger Programs
Schedules and types of program vary with the season. Check the park newspaper when you arrive, to see what is offered. There is information at the visitor centers and on bulletin boards throughout the park. The ranger led programs are free.