Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks opened camping in three areas Monday, July 6, 2020. Spaces in Lodgepole, Potwisha and Sunset campgrounds are limited and available by reservation only for the rest of this year. Visitors can pay entrance fees or purchase a pass online before arriving. G06 0706 Snp Camping 5636
Fresno, California – Beginning May 21, visitors to two of California’s most iconic national parks will no longer be able to pay entrance fees with cash, as Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks adopt the National Park Service’s controversial cashless payment policy.
The new system will require visitors to pay entrance fees through mobile payment, credit, or debit cards. Visitors who want to use cash Entrance fees canhase a park pass in advance from one of five designated third-partcan onlyd near park entrances, including the Foothills Visitor Center and Kings Canyon Visitor Center.
Park officials say they’re making the move to improve efficiency and security. “Cash sales represent 14% of in-person sales in the park,” said Superintendent Clay Jordan. “During peak season, park rangers spend up to eight and a half hours per day documenting, reporting, and transferring cash receipts. Moving to a cashless system will reduce park staff’s time managing cash and increase their availability for other work.”
The new policy will apply to entrance stations, campground check-ins, and backcountry permit offices. However, the park will still accept cash at on-site bookstores, gift shops, and restaurants.
Entrance fees play a vital role in park operations. Those fees support campground maintenance, educational programs, accessibility improvements, and the popular free Sequoia Shuttle service in the Giant Forest area.
For those still relying on cash, third-party vendors authorized to sell park passes include the Foothills Visitor Center, Three Rivers Historical Museum, and Kaweah Arts in Three Rivers, the Kings Canyon Visitor Center in Grant Grove Village, and Project Survival’s Cat Haven in Dunlap.
The shift to a cashless system follows a broader trend within the National Park Service, which began rolling out the policy across parks nationwide in 2023. While the agency touts gains in efficiency and cost savings, the policy has drawn criticism. Earlier this year, three tourists sued the Park Service after being denied entry at parks in Arizona, New York, and Georgia for trying to pay in cash. A federal judge dismissed the lawsuit in February.
Visitors are encouraged to plan ahead and purchase passes online or at approved local vendors to avoid disruption during their visit to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.
