Families and groups
Leans DIY on entry cost
One $35 vehicle fee covers everyone in the car, so a party of five pays $7 each to enter. A per-seat tour price has no such discount, so compare it with your whole-car cost.
Source: NPS fees, Oct 26, 2026
California · National Parks
Sequoia & Kings Canyon: tour or DIY?
Checked Oct 26, 2026 · Source: NPS
Sequoia & Kings Canyon charges $35 per private vehicle, good for 7 days, according to the National Park Service (checked Oct 26, 2026). Visitors 16 and older who live outside the US pay an extra $100 unless they hold a pass.
Our verdict, from the fee data
DIY wins on entry cost for groups
The $35 vehicle fee is paid once for everyone in the car. A tour only beats driving yourself if it saves you real money or time on fuel, parking, shuttles and planning.
We do not print tour prices here because we do not have a live, licensed feed for them. Enter a real quote in the calculator and we prefill this park’s fee.
| Party | Entrance total | Per person |
|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $35 | $35 |
| 2 people | $35 | $17.50 |
| 4 people | $35 | $8.75 |
| 6 people | $35 | $5.83 |
Arithmetic on the NPS fee of $35. The vehicle fee covers all passengers, so cost per person falls as the group grows. Non-US residents 16+ add $100 each.
Entrance fees
| Fee | Cost | Notes from NPS |
|---|---|---|
| Entrance - Private Vehicle | $35 | This pass is valid for 1-7 days and includes everyone traveling in a single vehicle for Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks and Hume Lake District of Sequoia National Forest/Giant Sequoia National Monument. |
| Entrance - Per Person | $20 | This entry fee is for a single person traveling on foot or by bicycle. It is valid for 1-7 days in Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks and Hume Lake District of Sequoia National Forest/Giant Sequoia National Monument. |
| Entrance - Motorcycle | $30 | Valid for 7 days. Admits up to 2 private, non-commercial motorcycles, scooters, or similar motorized vehicles with up to 4 total passengers to Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks and Hume Lake District of Sequoia National Forest/Giant Sequoia National Monument. |
| Entrance - Non-commercial Groups | $20 | Non-commercial groups traveling in vehicles that have a capacity of up to 15 passengers pay a $35 vehicle entrance fee or use a park pass. Groups traveling in a bus or vehicle with a capacity of 16 persons or more are charged $20 per person, up to the maximums listed for… |
| Commercial Entrance - Mini-bus | $100 | This entrance fee is for commercial tours of vehicles with a seating capacity of 16-25 people that has been packaged, priced, or sold for leisure or recreational purposes by an organization that realizes financial gain through the provision of the service. |
| Commercial Entrance - Motor Coach | $200 | This entrance fee is for commercial tours of vehicles with a seating capacity of 26 or more people that has been packaged, priced, or sold for leisure or recreational purposes by an organization that realizes financial gain through the provision of the service. |
| Commercial Entrance - Per Person | $20 | The fee is $20 per person for any resident 16 years or older. For any nonresident the fee is $100 per person for anyone 16 years or older. This fee is valid for seven consecutive days. |
| Nonresident | $100 | Each non-US resident aged 16 and older visiting Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks must pay a $100 nonresident fee (in addition to the standard entrance fee), unless admitted with an Annual or America the Beautiful Pass. |
Source: nps.gov fees and passes for Sequoia & Kings Canyon via the NPS API, checked Oct 26, 2026. Fees change; confirm before you go.
Visiting from outside the US? Sequoia & Kings Canyon is one of 11 parks that charge non-US residents aged 16+ a $100 nonresident fee on top of the regular entrance fee, unless they hold an annual or America the Beautiful pass. The Non-Resident Annual Pass costs $250. Source: nps.gov passes, checked Oct 26, 2026.
Pass math
- The $80 America the Beautiful Resident Annual Pass equals 3 visits at $35 per vehicle, here or at any other fee site.
- Seniors 62+ pay $20 for an annual pass or $80 for lifetime.
- Sequoia & Kings Canyon also sells its own pass: Annual Entrance - Park, $70.
When it is busiest
NPS recreation visits by month, 2025. July had 15% of the year; February was the quietest month, with about 17% of the busiest month’s visits.
BusierQuietest month
Show the numbers
| Month | Recreation visits |
|---|---|
| January | 75,296 |
| February | 56,183 |
| March | 97,237 |
| April | 146,788 |
| May | 237,169 |
| June | 280,711 |
| July | 328,609 |
| August | 314,623 |
| September | 233,036 |
| October | 190,980 |
| November | 115,432 |
| December | 82,064 |
Source: NPS IRMA Stats, recreation visitors, 2025, pulled Oct 26, 2026. Sequoia and Kings Canyon are added together.
Alerts right now
4 active NPS alerts when we checked on Oct 26, 2026, including 1 closure. Showing the most serious first.
Park Closure Some Trails Closed in the Grant Grove Area Due to Prescribed Burn Activity
Firefighters conducted a prescribed burn in the vicinity of Grant Grove and the General Grant Tree. Smoke and flame may be visible in the area. This is normal. Areas and trails in and around the prescribed burn are closed until they are determined to be safe. Details on nps.gov
Information Weekday Traffic Delays on Generals Highway North of Giant Forest
Due to removal of hazard trees along Generals Highway between Highway 180 and Giant Forest, there are traffic delays on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Vehicles may experience delays of up to 30 minutes at each work site. There will not be delays on federal holidays. Details on nps.gov
Information Mineral King Road Construction Traffic Delays and Closures
There are temporary daytime closures and traffic delays on Mineral King Road. A schedule of daily closures and delays can be found on our Road Construction webpage. Click "more" to go there. Details on nps.gov
Information Fire Restrictions in Place
Stage 1 Fire Restrictions are in effect. Wood and charcoal fires are prohibited at all low-elevation campgrounds and picnic areas. Additional restrictions apply. Click "more" for details. Details on nps.gov
Source: NPS API alerts, checked Oct 26, 2026. Conditions change by the hour; check the park page before you drive.
Hours and access
The parks are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Some park roads and roads that access more remote parts of the parks close in the winter due to snow accumulation. Rarely, extreme weather conditions may cause roads into the parks to be closed.
Source: NPS API operating hours, checked Oct 26, 2026.
What NPS lists to do here
- Astronomy
- Auto and ATV
- Backcountry Camping
- Backcountry Hiking
- Birdwatching
- Bookstore and Park Store
- Camping
- Car or Front Country Camping
- Caving
- Citizen Science
- Climbing
- Cross-Country Skiing
- Dining
- Fishing
- Fly Fishing
- Food
- Freshwater Fishing
- Front-Country Hiking
- Gift Shop and Souvenirs
- Group Camping
- Guided Tours
- Hands-On
- Hiking
- Horse Camping (see also Horse/Stock Use)
- +15 more
Source: NPS API activity tags, checked Oct 26, 2026.
Got a tour quote for Sequoia & Kings Canyon?
Put it next to your own costs and see the break-even.
Open the calculator for Sequoia & Kings CanyonWho fits what at Sequoia & Kings Canyon
Built from NPS and NOAA data, not opinion. “Leans” is a plain reading of the fee model, not a recommendation.
Seniors (62+)
A senior pass cuts DIY cost
US residents aged 62 and over can buy an annual pass for $20 or a lifetime pass for $80. The NPS API we use has no per-park accessibility data, so check the park page for trail and shuttle accessibility before choosing.
Source: nps.gov passes, Oct 26, 2026
Visitors without a car
Check transit first
The NPS data we pulled lists no shuttle or transit service for Sequoia & Kings Canyon. It does tag Guided Tours, Horse Camping (see also Horse/Stock Use), Horse Trekking and Horseback Riding. If you will not have a car, confirm how to get around before assuming DIY works.
Source: NPS activities, Oct 26, 2026
First-timers
Start at a visitor center
The NPS lists 6 visitor centers, 6 with passport stamps. It also publishes 8 self-guided tours, taking 25 min to 3 h, which cost nothing beyond entry.
Source: NPS visitor centers and tours, Oct 26, 2026
Short visits
Entry is valid 7 days
The vehicle fee is good for 7 days, so a one-day trip pays the same gate fee as a long one. NPS self-guided tours here run up to 3 h. February was the quietest month in 2025, which helps if you only have a day.
Source: NPS fees and IRMA Stats, Oct 26, 2026
What to book ahead
Check reservations early
The NPS campground listings (15) tag 1191 sites as reservable and 0 as first-come; those tags can lag, so confirm on the park page.
Source: NPS alerts and campgrounds, Oct 26, 2026
Season
July is busiest
July drew 15% of 2025 recreation visits; its average high is 76°F at the nearest NOAA station. February was quietest, with an average high of 41°F. Mild months below the average crowd: April.
Source: NPS IRMA Stats; NOAA normals 1991–2020 (LODGEPOLE, 18 km away)
Parking and shuttles
No related alerts
No active NPS alert mentioned parking, shuttles or timed entry on Oct 26, 2026. Parking can still be scarce at peak times; see the park page.
Source: NPS alerts, Oct 26, 2026
Questions
How much does it cost to enter Sequoia & Kings Canyon by car?
The NPS lists $35 per private vehicle for 7 days (checked Oct 26, 2026). The fee covers every passenger in the vehicle.
Is there an extra fee for visitors from outside the US at Sequoia & Kings Canyon?
Yes. Sequoia & Kings Canyon is one of 11 parks where non-US residents aged 16 and over pay a $100 nonresident fee on top of the entrance fee, unless they hold an annual or America the Beautiful pass (NPS, checked Oct 26, 2026).
When is Sequoia & Kings Canyon busiest?
July had the most recreation visits in 2025 (15% of the year). February had the fewest, so July drew about 5.8 times as many visits. Source: NPS IRMA Stats.
More parks in California
TourOrDIY is independent and not affiliated with the National Park Service. Numbers are copied from NPS public data on Oct 26, 2026 and may have changed. See the accuracy disclaimer and our method.