Sequoia National Forest – Roads End / Copper Creek trail permit availability on recreation.gov

http://www.nps.gov/seki/planyourvisit/reservation-availability.htm

"Anyone have the link to check permit availability for Sequoia National Forest. Looking to enter at Roads End."

Note that Roads End and the Copper Creek Trail are not in Sequoia National Forest. They are in Kings Canyon National Park.

–B.G.–

""Anyone have the link to check permit availability for Sequoia National Forest. Looking to enter at Roads End."

"Note that Roads End and the Copper Creek Trail are not in Sequoia National Forest. They are in Kings Canyon National Park."

Bob is correct. The link is http://www.recreation.gov.

If you are really seeking a wilderness permit for the Copper Creek Trail, then you deal with the Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park wilderness office, not http://www.recreation.gov

At the last time I did this (yesterday!), it was by mail or by fax.

By the way, going up the Copper Creek Trail with a heavy pack is a butt-kicker.

–B.G.–

"If you are really seeking a wilderness permit for the Copper Creek Trail, then you deal with the Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park wilderness office, not http://www.recreation.gov"

Yup. I stand corrected. Looks like they have their own permit system for trails starting within the parks. Sorry folks.

I always find this such an interesting feature of our federal government.

Inside the national parks, the agency is the National Park Service, which is part of the Department of the Interior. Outside the national parks, the agency is the Forest Service, which is part of the Department of Agriculture. Then also there is the Bureau of Land Management stuck into a few areas. Each agency does things their own way, they have their own rules, and they get different partner companies to do their housekeeping.

The only good thing is that if you start within a park and your backpacking trip extends out of the park, or vice-versa, you can normally do it all on one wilderness permit, which is from where you started.

–B.G.–

"The only good thing is that if you start within a park and your backpacking trip extends out of the park, or vice-versa, you can normally do it all on one wilderness permit, which is from where you started."

This is what threw me off. In the past month I have obtained 3 permits beginning on the East Side and continuing on into SEKI, and just assumed the reverse would hold true as well. Go figure. At any rate, I'm glad you caught the mistake. I would hate for someone to waste time on my misinformation.

I don't think SEKI puts permit availability online like Yosemite does, but I could be wrong. Kings canyon doesn't get that busy, so walk in shouldn't be a problem. I havn't bothered to reserve a permit in 4 or 5 years, but I am usually solo.

I've never reserved a spot on the Copper Creek Trail. Been up 5 times with party of 2-5 and got the permit right then. The difficulty tends to weed out most hikers.

Up or down, don't be on in the afternoon or you will be very hot.

The need for reservations there is kind of unpredictable. If you can arrive there to start mid-week it is easier, and if you can arrive there and be standing in line before the Roads End permit office opens, it is easier. However, online you can see how the trail quotas are filling up, so if you manage to pick some off-beat date, it is much easier.

–B.G.–