Construction in Sequoia -- Should I skip it?

robert_j

Earning My Ears
Joined
Mar 15, 2017
I am not sure what to do. My original plan was to leave Anaheim (DLR) on Wednesday, July 5, at around mid day and drive up to Sequoia National Park that afternoon. We were going to stay at Wuksachi Lodge overnight and then take our time driving back out of the park on Thursday morning, seeing General Sherman, etc., on the way to Yosemite. We have two nights booked for Yosemite (July 6-7).

But then today I got this in my email:

"We are emailing you to alert you of major reconstruction on part of the Generals Highway, in Sequoia National Park, scheduled to start mid-June 2017. You can expect traffic delays on the Generals Highway between Hospital Rock and the Giant Forest (Deer Ridge to Eleven Range). If you are planning to access lodging in Sequoia and Kings Canyon via the Ash Mountain Entrance using Hwy 198, you may encounter delays due to road construction.

"Park visitors arriving at the South Entrance after 8pm may be delayed over three hours at the construction zone. Visitors arriving at the South Entrance after 10:30 pm may not be able to pass through to lodging until 5:00 am. We recommend late afternoon and evening arrivals use Highway 180 and enter from the north at Big Stump Entrance Station."

Ugh! The scheduling is so tight, I am thinking of skipping Sequoia altogether, staying overnight on July 5 in, say, Fresno, and then spending the morning in the Mariposa grove in Yosemite instead. We would lose out on the bigger trees in Sequoia, but then we would not be sitting in traffic in a construction zone either, and then we would maximize our time in Yosemite.

What do you think? Is it worth it to keep the Wuksachi reservation? Am I making too much of the construction?
 
I wouldn't worry about it. They've been working on that for years. I was stuck in the construction about a decade ago, and the delays were more like 45 minutes.
 
I guess what I don't know is how much the traffic gets backed up if they are only letting cars through once an hour. My hope was to get to Wuksachi Lodge between 5:00 and 6:00 and then leave the park early enough the next day to get to the Yosemite Valley Lodge by around the same time. So the timing is pretty tight as it is. If the traffic is bad then that compresses things further, at which point I wonder if it is better just to spend all of that time in the Yosemite area and focus on just that park for this trip.
 


I guess what I don't know is how much the traffic gets backed up if they are only letting cars through once an hour. My hope was to get to Wuksachi Lodge between 5:00 and 6:00 and then leave the park early enough the next day to get to the Yosemite Valley Lodge by around the same time. So the timing is pretty tight as it is. If the traffic is bad then that compresses things further, at which point I wonder if it is better just to spend all of that time in the Yosemite area and focus on just that park for this trip.

You might consider leaving earlier. It sounds as if they're limiting the construction to late a night to try to minimize the impact on visitors. On top of that, I really wouldn't recommend driving on that road at night anyways, although I remember my dad did that once when I was a kid. It's a narrow and extremely windy mountain road. Even during the day they're only allowing one-way traffic. That's kind of what I experienced about a decade ago. Have you seen this?

https://www.nps.gov/seki/planyourvisit/road-construction.htm

On weekdays from 7:00 am-5:00 pm
Expect delays of up to 1 hour through noon on June 30. After the delay, uphill traffic passes first, followed by downhill traffic. See Holidays, below, regarding the Independence Day weekend. Starting June 5, consistent 1-hour delays are expected from 7:00 am-8:00 pm Monday through Thursday, and 7:00 am-5:00 pm on Fridays, with traffic passing through the construction zone on the hour.
On weeknights from 9:00 pm Sunday through 5:00 am Friday
Nighttime delays are not expected to start for another few weeks. When they do, both lanes will close for 8 hours, one pass-through at 11:30 pm, uphill traffic first. Once nighttime delays are necessary, this page will be updated with that information up to two weeks in advance.
Other hours and on weekends
No delays when both lanes are open. When highway is limited to one lane, expect delays up to 20 minutes. Traffic lights will control traffic, uphill traffic first.​

I know what the issue is. It's an old road that wasn't designed for larger vehicles and the condition of the road is pretty bad now. They're trying to shore up the road so that it doesn't need as much maintenance in the future.

https://flh.fhwa.dot.gov/projects/ca/generals-10/

Generals Highway is a narrow road constructed in the 1930s and was not designed for travel by the larger vehicles in use today. The proposed project is being considered because of the need to address deficiencies in the condition of the highway and safety concerns. This highway is in mountainous terrain between 4,500 feet and 7,300 feet in elevation where snow and ice conditions are constant during the winter. The road surface, shoulders, retaining walls, and culverts are deteriorating at a rate the park is unable to keep up with through routine maintenance.​

You could always consider an alternate route through the Big Stump entrance. It would add an hour, but you would have a more consistent drive time.

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Dis...9d86ec019!2m2!1d-118.7520631!2d36.6095924!3e0

This isn't the only way. I remember once I drove through county road J21. I saw it on the park map and thought it would be fun to use to get back to the campground after dinner in Visalia. I guess a concern for you would be where to get gas before entering the park. The fastest way may bypass a lot of gas stations. Visalia would be a good place to get gas, although there are gas stations in Orange Cove or Dinuba.
 
I've run into this several times in the past few years. They'll have a lead car that will lead a group of cars through the construction area, then will turn around and lead the cars waiting on the other side back through (because there will be one lane open). I wouldn't let it stop me, either.
 
Okay, so it is sounding like this is not a big deal, as long as I give myself enough time to get there. Worst case scenario, if I am delayed, I could enter through the Big Stump gate (I might exit that way). Thank you!
 


Okay, so it is sounding like this is not a big deal, as long as I give myself enough time to get there. Worst case scenario, if I am delayed, I could enter through the Big Stump gate (I might exit that way). Thank you!

There are basically only two ways in. They do have a nice sign at the Foothills entrance, but other than that the area isn't particularly remarkable until you get up to higher elevation.

540x360.jpg


The sign near the Big Stump entrance is kind of nondescript:

640px-Kings_Canyon_NP_Sign.JPG


The sign on the way to Cedar Grove is more interesting:

national-park.jpg
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!





Top