‘Thank Congress for that,’ say visitors at Sequoia National Park during shutdown

SEQUOIA & KINGS CANYON, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) — Days into a government shutdown, federal services nationwide have been reduced – and that includes national parks.

At Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, visitors will immediately see no one at the entry booths. The entrance from Highway 198, east of Visalia, was open for anyone to pass through with no need to pay to get in.

Visitors continued to arrive, with some happy to hear they could skip the expense.

“That’s perfect,” one man told us as we broke the news to him.

Some, however, say free entry feels a little strange.

“There’s always like a $35, $40 fee or something like that. I mean, I guess I’ll take it. But it just feels a little weird because I know the money is meant to preserve national parks and all,” said Chicago visitor Giovanni Cadena. “How is it going to be preserved, you know?”

As well as stopping at Sequoia and Kings Canyon, Cadena also plans to visit Yosemite National Park. He says he is a little worried about the effects of the shutdown on essential services at the parks, including when nature calls.

“That’s why I brought a water bottle,” he laughed. “An empty water bottle!”

Thankfully, there’s no need to worry as the National Park Service’s contingency plan says services such as restrooms, sanitation, trash collection, road maintenance, and emergency services will remain open during the government shutdown, at least for now. 

Meanwhile, some favorite stops for those coming to the Sequoia and Kings Canyon, including visitor centers, museums, and the headquarters for both parks remain shuttered. Some say they feel a little let down.

“We are disappointed because we really wanted to have an informed hike with, you know, some of the docents who work here and there’s nobody here. It’s still beautiful and we’ll soldier on, but it’s disappointing,” said Los Angeles resident Linda Benedetti, steps from the Congress Trail. “We can thank Congress for that. For closing the Congress Trail.”