High Sierra Topix

Wondering if anybody has the inside scoop on when (if?) Hwy 180 in Kings Canyon will be reopened this year? There's no info on the NPS site. Recreation.gov is not handing out permits for trails out of Roads End because the highway is closed (not just for winter, but for repairs). But if the road doesn't open after winter until May anyway, and there's perhaps more damage to fix...

Here is an article (referencing info released by CalTrans) that describes the status of CA-180 repairs, but gives no prediction on date of completion -

https://www.yourcentralvalley.com/news/ ... ty-update/

Caltrans doesn't seem to want to guess when the repairs will be finished, and SEKI is assuming the worse as last I looked NO permits are being given for 2024 yet for trailheads down there. Ugh. Caltrans also posted this on Dec 8:

Hmmm... it'd be nice to know which of the five (5) sections that were damaged last winter have been repaired... if any. It'd also be nice to know which highways that were closed by (a.) last winter, and (b.) the hurricane remnant last fall (e.g., Whitney Portal Road) have been reopened. Just looked at Hwy. 33 in my maps app. and... closed. To be continued (!)

CalTrans Central Valley District 6 posted an update on where they are at with repairs on January 25th:

I live outside of Kings Canyon; the local word is that as long as the winter isn’t too crazy, CalTrans is optimistic about being able to reopen the road in mid to late June. The NPS section inside the park boundary does need some minor repair in a few areas but that isn’t expected to take too long, staff have already been able to drive there and assess. In short, I’d expect more definitive information sometime this spring and once that’s known SEKI will open up the area for backcountry reservations.

I certainly hope so; I miss Cedar Grove.

I was up at our cabin in Wilsonia and told by a ranger that they were "hoping for 2025." I've chosen to not believe them because that would be sad and it wasn't anyone with official information. I plan on asking around more soon, or emailing some people that should know. This was the first time in 15 years I wasn't in Cedar Grove and I miss it!

Hopefully someone on here has inside information that's better news, or that what the rest of you are hearing is accurate.

It's not inaccessible. You can get a permit in via the Don Cecil Trail. Sure it may add a day on each end depending on your itinerary/intention, but there's reports on this forum from this last season that made it sound very inviting to be in the valley sans the usual congestion.