Why Should Your Class Come for a Program in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks?

• Free Entrance to the parks- Since park entrance fees are waived and the ranger-led programs are free, transportation is your only expense!
• Curriculum-based - All ranger-led programs synthesize California Content Standards with national park themes.
• Experience - The programs are fun and interactive. Your students will explore an environment completely different from where they live.
• Educational Materials - When you make a program reservation, you will receive a teacher confirmation packet with pre- and post-visit classroom activities.
• Sequoia Natural History Association (SNHA) offers for a small fee educational programs and field seminars for all ages and levels of ability.

Choose a Curriculum-based Program that is Right for your Class:

A Giant's Life (2nd & 3rd grades)
Discover the life cycle of giant sequoias and their adaptations for survival. Maximum of 70 students per day. Program is approximately one hour. Takes place at Grant Grove in Kings Canyon National Park (Hwy 180). Programs are offered at 10:00 and 11:00 a.m., Tuesday-Friday, in April, May, September, and October.

Layers in Time (3rd & 4th grades)
Participate in a simulated archeological dig and learn about the cultural history of the Kaweah River drainage. Maximum of 35 students per day. Program is approximately 3.5 hours (including lunch). Takes place at Potwisha Campground in Sequoia National Park, four miles from the park entrance at Hwy 198. Program start times are flexible (9:30- 10:30 a.m.), Tuesday-Friday, in April, May, September, and October.

Nature's Neighborhood (4th grade)
Explore the interdependence of species in a giant sequoia grove. Maximum of 70 students per day. Program is approximately one hour. Takes place at Grant Grove in Kings Canyon National Park (Hwy 180). Programs are offered at 10:00 and 11:00 a.m., Tuesday-Friday, in April, May, September, and October.

Mountains Inside and Out (6th grade) Investigate geologic features, both above and below the earth’s surface, as you navigate through Crystal Cave. Maximum of 35 students per day. Program is approximately 3.5 hours (including lunch). Takes place at Crystal Cave in Sequoia National Park. It is 15 miles from the park entrance at Highway 198 to the Crystal Cave Road and 7 miles from there to the parking lot. Program start times are flexible (9:30-10:30 a.m.), Monday-Friday in September. This program requires special transportation (vans or cars). The cave road cannot accommodate a school bus.

Reservations are required at least two weeks before your visit; please contact our Education Coordinator at 1-559-565-4303. If necessary, leave a message and your call will be returned as soon as possible. You will receive a teacher confirmation packet with logistical information and maps, as well as classroom activities. On the trip, one adult is required for every 10 students.

If your grade level is not served in the offerings above, contact the Education Coordinator for other possibilities or see the information below.

Sequoia Natural History Association (SNHA):

If you teach a grade level that is not served in the offerings above or are interested in other topics, you can arrange a park program (for a small fee) from the Sequoia Natural History Association. Call their Education Director at 1-559-565-4251 or check out their web site, Sequoia Field Institute .