Meadow Grazing-Opening and Closing Updates

Grazing Wild Horses on Shackleford

Current Situation


Snowpack measurements in the parks show that there is approximately 60% of the average April 1 snowpack in the San Joaquin and Kings River drainages, 35% in the Kaweah River drainage, and 54% in the Kern River drainage. Snowpack data is available at http://cdec.water.ca.gov/snow/. At this time, the parks anticipate that 2025 will be categorized as a normal year for setting opening dates throughout the parks.

Some areas of the parks are currently closed to vehicles due to road damage. For current park condition information please visit the Current Conditions page.

Find details about these regulations by contacting the Wilderness Office at 559-565-3766 or via email requesting a copy of the annual Stock User's Guide, or visiting our Stock Use page and our WIlderness page.

 

2025 Closures

83-4 Upper Crabtree Meadow

83-4 Upper Crabtree Meadow is closed to grazing as of August 9, for the remainder of the season. The meadow has reached the maximum allowable stock nights for the year. Consider 83-8 Sandy Meadow as an alternative. The 83-4 Upper Crabtree stock camp remains open to parties that supply their own feed in lieu of grazing and confine their stock within the camp area.

 

Tentative 2025 Opening Dates

The following list shows the tentative normal year opening dates for all drainages. The list is arranged by drainage and travel zone.

These dates are only guidelines. Depending on actual conditions, changes in opening dates may be made as the season progresses. Changes to opening dates are also posted at www.nps.gov/seki/planyourvisit/stockuse.htm, along with other information important to planning a stock-supported wilderness trip. Additional information about wilderness travel can be found at www.nps.gov/seki/planyourvisit/wilderness.htm. If you are planning a trip, it is your responsibility to contact the parks' Wilderness Office for the latest condition updates by email or by calling them on the phone at 559-565-3766.

Note that the opening dates only restrict grazing. The parks permit pack trips prior to opening dates as long as all feed is packed in and stock remain tied to either an existing hitch rail or a “high line” between two trees or rocks on a flat, hard, non-vegetated site away from the trail, water, and camp.

We appreciate your cooperation in managing stock use in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Together we can continue to protect the natural diversity and beauty of the Sierra wilderness.

All dates listed below are subject to change at any time due to current conditions.


 
Sequoia Stock Use Grazing Map
Sequoia Stock Use Grazing Map

Sequoia Stock Use Grazing Map

Kings Canyon Stock Use Grazing Map
Kings Canyon Stock Use Grazing Map

Kings Canyon Stock Use Grazing Map

 

These tables only list tentative opening dates.
Always check for area-specific regulations related to stock use.


San Joaquin River Drainage

Travel Zone

Forage Numbers

Named Areas

Opening Date

Notes

28

1-2, 5-6

Goddard Canyon

7/15

28

3-4

Cony Camp & Franklin Montgomery Meadow

8/1

Saturated Soils

33

1

Evolution

7/1

Hand Graze Only until 7/15 due to saturated soils.

33

3, 4.1

Colby Meadow

8/1

33

2

McClure Meadow

8/31

Delayed due to saturated soil.

33

4.2

Darwin Meadow Pockets

8/1

open to hand grazing on 8/1 for upper, drier pocket meadows only. Stock users are advised to consider 33-3 Colby Meadow as an alternative until further notice.

all

Evolution Basin

8/1

 



Kings River Drainage

Travel Zone

Forage Numbers

Named Areas

Opening Date

Notes

38

2-3

Blue Canyon

7/15

39

2

Big Pete Meadow

8/12

Delayed due to standing water.

39

3

Little Pete Meadow

7/29

39

4

Ladder Camp

7/29

39

6

Palisade Creek Junction

7/15

39

7

Stillwater Meadow

7/22

39

8

Deer Meadow

8/8

Delayed due to saturated soil.

45

all

Upper Palisade Creek

7/15

46

1, 3-6

Upper S. Fork Kings River/Above JMT Jct

8/1

46

2

Upper S. Fork Kings River/Below JMT Jct

7/29

Delayed Opening due to mud and standing water.

51

all

Simpson and Tehipite

7/15

52

1-6,9

Kennedy Canyon

7/15

53

1-6, 8

Dougherty Creek

8/1

53

7

Shorty's Meadow

8/15

54

1-5

Granite Basin

7/7

56

1

High Meadows South of Pinchot Pass

8/12

Delayed opening due to mud and standing water.

56

2

Twin Lakes Area (Woods Creek)

8/12

Delayed opening due to mud and standing water.

56

3

Twin Lakes

7/15

57

1

Woods Lake Meadows

8/15

Delayed opening due to mud and standing water.

57

2-3

Woods Lake Basin

8/1

58

1

Castle Domes

6/30

58

2

Woods Creek Crossing

6/30

58

3

,Baxter Creek Drift Fence

7/28

63

1

Charlotte Creek

8/7

Saturated soil and standing water.

65

3-4

Bubbs Creek

7/15

66

all

Lower Bubbs Creek

7/1

67

1-2

East Lake, Ouzel

7/10

68

all

Sphinx Creek

7/1

69

all

Roaring River

6/25

70

all

Cloud Canyon

7/15

.

71

all

Deadman Canyon

7/29

Wet soils and poor plant development.

72

1-13.1

Sugarloaf

7/22

Wet conditions.

72

13.2-14.3, 16.1-22

Ferguson

7/22

Wet conditions.

73

1-3,5

Ball Dome Area

7/29

Wet soils and poor plant development.
 

Kern River Drainage

Travel Zone

Forage Areas

Named Areas

Opening Date

Notes

79

1, 3-6

Kern-Kaweah

7/15

80

3-6

Tyndall Creek

7/1

80

2

Tyndal Frog Ponds

7/15

Delay opening from 7/1 due to standing water and mud.

81

1-2.2, 2.4

Wright and Wallace Creeks

7/1

81

2.3

Wallace Creek Waterfall

7/15

82

all

Upper Kern Canyon (Junction Mdw to Hot Springs)

7/5

83

6-8

Lower Whitney, Sandy, Crabtree Lakes Meadows

7/1

83

4

Upper Crabtree Meadow

Closed to grazing

Maximum allowable stock nights for the year reached. Consider 83-8 Sandy Meadow as an alternative. 83-4 Upper Crabtree stock camping remains open for parties carrying feed.

84

2-4, 6

Lower Rock Creek

7/1

85

4, 6-8, 10

Upper Rock Creek

7/15

86

1-5

Lower Kern Canyon (Hot Springs to Kern Ranger Station)

6/15

87

1-4, 8-9

Chagoopa Plateau and Big Arroyo

7/10

87

5

Chagoopa Plateau Meadow # 1

7/31

Saturated soils

87

6

Chagoopa Plateau Meadow #2

7/10

Upper portion above trail open, avoid lower half due to wet soil.

87

10

Sky Parlor Meadow

7/31

Delayed opening from 7/10 due to saturated soils

88

1-2

Little Five Lakes

7/15

88

3-5

Big Five Lakes

7/25

89

2-4, 10-13

Lost, Soda, Lower Rattlesnake, Laurel, Crytes, Coyote

7/1

89

5-6, 8-9

Upper Rattlesnake (>9,000 feet, above Cow Camp)

7/15

89

7

Shotgun Pass Meadow

7/29

 

Kaweah River Drainage

Travel Zone

Forage Areas

Named Areas

Opening Date

Notes

74

all

Clover and Silliman Creeks

7/29

Wet soils and poor plant development.

75

1

Lone Pine Creek

8/5

Saturated soils and insufficient plant development.

75

2

Tamarack Lack

7/1

77

1-4, 6-7

Bearpaw Meadow, Cliff Creek, Pinto Lake

6/15

77

5

Redwood Meadow

6/1

Advisory: avoid grazing until 8/25 due to standing wateror saturated soils.

90

1-6, 12, 15-16

Hockett

6/10

90

10-11, 13-14, 17, 19

South Fork, Slim's, Green, Cyclone, Quinn

7/08

Wet Soil, Standing Water.

90

15

Tuohy Meadow

7/1

Soil still wet.

91

1-2

South Fork Kaweah River

3/1

96

all

North Fork Kaweah River

3/1

Last updated: August 26, 2025

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47050 Generals Highway
Three Rivers, CA 93271

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559 565-3341

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