Yosemite, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks (Fodor's) - Fodor's [48]
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FEATURES
Previous Chapter | Next Chapter | Contents | Experience the National Parks of the West
FLORA AND FAUNA
The parks can be divided into three distinct zones. In the west (1,500–4,500 feet) are the rolling, lower elevation foothills, covered with shrubby chaparral vegetation or golden grasslands dotted with oaks. Chamise, red-barked manzanita, and the occasional yucca plant grow here. Fields of white popcorn flower cover the hillsides in spring, and the yellow fiddleneck flourishes. In summer, intense heat and absence of rain cause the hills to turn golden brown. Wildlife includes the California ground squirrel, noisy blue-and-gray scrub jay, black bears, coyotes, skunks, and gray fox.
At middle elevation (5,000–9,000 feet), where the giant sequoia belt resides, rock formations mix with meadows and huge stands of evergreens—red and white fir, incense cedar, and ponderosa pines, to name a few. Wildflowers like yellow blazing star and red Indian paintbrush, bloom in spring and summer. Mule deer, golden-mantled ground squirrels, Steller’s jays, mule deer, and black bears (most active in fall) inhabit the area, as does the chickaree.
The high alpine section of the parks is extremely rugged, with a string of rocky peaks reaching above 13,000 feet to Mt. Whitney’s 14,494 feet. Fierce weather and scarcity of soil make vegetation and wildlife sparse. Foxtail and whitebark pines have gnarled and twisted trunks, the result of high wind, heavy snowfall, and freezing temperatures. In summer you can see yellow-bellied marmots, pikas, weasels, mountain chickadees, and Clark’s nutcrackers.
MT. WHITNEY
At 14,494 feet, Mt. Whitney is the highest point in the contiguous United States and the crown jewel of Sequoia National Park’s wild eastern side. The peak looms high above the tiny, high-mountain desert community of Lone Pine, where numerous Hollywood westerns have been filmed. The high mountain ranges, arid landscape, and scrubby brush of the Eastern Sierra are beautiful in their vastness and austerity.
Despite the mountain’s scale, you can’t see it from the more traveled west side of the park, because it is hidden behind the Great Western Divide. The only way to access Mt. Whitney from the main part of the park is to circumnavigate the Sierra Nevada via a 10-hour, nearly 400-mi drive outside the park. No road ascends the peak; the best vantage point from which to catch a glimpse of the mountain is at the end of Whitney Portal Road. The 13 mi of winding road leads from U.S. 395 at Lone Pine to the trailhead for the hiking route to the top of the mountain. Whitney Portal Road is closed in winter.
The most popular route to the summit, the Mt. Whitney Trail, can be conquered by fit and moderately experienced hikers, unless there is snow on the mountain; then it is a challenge for expert mountaineers only. Day hikers must have a permit to hike the trail beyond Lone Pine Lake, about 2½ mi from the trailhead; all overnighters must have a permit. Reservations for climbing Mt. Whitney May through October are difficult to obtain because of a daily limit on the number of hikers allowed. You can apply for overnight and day permits by lottery each February. In May, if other hikers have canceled, a few permits become available. Contact the Wilderness Permit Office of Inyo National Forest (760/873–2485 wilderness information line, 760/873–2483 reservation line | www.fs.fed.us/r5/inyo).
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Previous Chapter | Beginning of Chapter | Next Chapter | Contents
Planning Your Visit
Park Passes
Free Admission
What to Pack
Family Fun
Tips for Stargazing in the Parks
Rock Climbing Q&A
Take a Tour
Capturing the Parks on Film
Staying Healthy, Playing It Safe
More Tips and Tidbits
Park Resources
Understanding the National Parks
From the Editors
National Park Service Then and Now
National Parks Timeline
The Roosevelt