While not our local coverage area – holiday travel to the area will be impeded.
PORTERVILLE – The Sequoia National Forest will begin seasonal Forest Service Road closures in the Western Divide Ranger and Kern River Ranger districts due to recent and forecasted snowfall.
According to Forest Supervisor Teresa Benson, the roads are closed to provide public safety, maintain winter recreation trails, and prevent damage to roadbeds. Due to heavy snow or rain, prohibiting motorized wheeled vehicles on these roads is necessary for public safety, because of the possibility that motorized wheeled vehicles could become stuck and require search and rescue efforts. “Forest visitors and emergency responders are put at unnecessary risk without the road closures. We will monitor road conditions and reopen them as soon as weather permits.”
Forest managers would like to remind visitors that Forest Service roads across the Sequoia National Forest and Giant Sequoia National Monument are not plowed or maintained for winter driving access. “The damage created by wheeled motorized vehicles may create dangerous conditions for snowmobile users and other winter recreation users,” Supervisor Benson added.
The expected closure dates are December 16, 2021, through June 15, 2022. The closing and opening dates will depend on weather and roadbed conditions in the fall and spring, where the roads may be closed later or opened earlier than the expected closure dates.
A full list of roads closed by Forest Order 0513-21-42_2021-22 can be found at this link. Landowners and residents affected by the road closures will work with their ranger district to maintain access. 
For current road Status by Ranger District area, email SM.FS.SequoiaNF@usda.gov or call:
- Hume Lake Ranger District, Dunlap (559) 791-5758
- Western Divide Ranger District, Springville (559) 483-0408
- Kern River Ranger District, Kernville (760) 549-9533
For information on the Sequoia National Forest, check out our website at or join the conversation on Facebook @SequoiaNF.
