Pear Lake Winter Hut in Sequoia National Park, CA, Will Be Closed for the Winter Due to Wildfire and Covid

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Pear Lake Winter Hut, Sequoia Parks Conservancy, california,
Pear Lake Winter Hut. Credit: Sequoia Parks Conservancy

Sequoia Parks Conservancy announced yesterday that due to ongoing impacts from the KNP Complex Wildfire and the covid-19 pandemic, the Pear Lake Winter Hut will remain closed for the 2022/2023 season. Sequoia Parks Conservancy and the National Park Service will be working together with the intent to restore access to the hut for the 2023/2024 season. Sequoia Parks Conservancy is committed to the safest and most enjoyable experience for hut users.

The hut offers visitors an incredible and unique opportunity to experience the winter wilderness in the parks. Sequoia Parks Conservancy and the National Park Service do not take this decision lightly. Only the hut itself is closed. With the proper wilderness permits, visitors can still go out and experience the Pear Lake basin this winter. Visitors will have to snow camp as an alternative.

About the Pear Lake Winter Hut Program

Visitors begin the trip at 7,200 feet at Wolverton and ascend a steep six miles east to the Pear Lake area at 9,200 feet. The advanced-level ski/snowshoe trail offers a chance to explore the beautiful wilderness of Sequoia National Park during the winter months with a cozy cabin waiting for you at the end of your day. The hut sleeps ten people and offers many amenities to lighten your load.

​The trip to the hut is for experienced backcountry skiers or snowshoers under potentially dangerous winter conditions. When the hut is open, reservations and wilderness permits are required. Stay up to date on the 2023/24 season by visiting: www.sequoiaparksconservancy.org/pearlakewinterhut

About the Pear Lake Ranger Station and Winter Hut

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) built the Pear Lake Ski Hut between 1939 and 1941. The hut serves as the Pear Lake Ranger Station during the summer season. In 1977, Pear Lake Ranger Station and Winter Hut were placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Sequoia Parks Conservancy has been operating the winter hut in cooperation with the National Park Service since 1979 and welcomes winter backcountry enthusiasts from all over the country.

Pear Lake Winter Hut. Credit: Hugh Parkes via NPS

Other ways to enjoy the winter season throughout the parks

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks will continue to welcome visitors to the parks throughout the 2022/2023 winter season. Parkgoers can participate in an array of winter activities, including snow play, snowshoeing, ski touring, and cross-country skiing. Visitors can purchase winter and cross-country ski trail maps at park visitor centers and online at: store.sequoiaparksconservancy.org.

For up-to-date weather conditions within the parks, please visit: www.nps.gov/seki/planyourvisit

pear lake winter hut, sequoia national park, california,
Hut location.

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