OUTDOORS & ADVENTURE | CALIFORNIA
New Sequoia National Park buses from Visalia are a hit
A new transit system for California's Sequoia National Park is proving popular after a week in operation.
The network includes buses that transport visitors from the city of Visalia to the park, plus two shuttle routes that link the park's top sites, including the Sherman Tree and Moro Rock.
The bus from Visalia, about 35 miles southwest of the park, costs $10 per person. The in-park shuttles (pictured at left) are free.
Reservations are advised for the Visalia bus. Although the little-publicized system has averaged 25% occupancy so far, some buses ran full over the Memorial Day weekend, said Monty Cox, transit manager for Visalia, which started running the service May 23.
When the park closed the road to Moro Rock to private vehicles several times on Saturday because of congestion and lack of parking, the shuttles "became very popular," Cox said. "We had long lines. It was amazing. We did not anticipate that."
The new system uses 16-passenger buses to take visitors from Visalia to the Giant Forest Museum inside the park. It makes several trips per day, which take about two hours each way, between 7 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.
The $10 round-trip cost per person includes park admission, normally $10 per person or $20 per vehicle for a seven-day pass.
You can buy tickets, which carry a $1 fee per order, on the bus website, www.sequoiashuttle.com, by phone at (877) 287-4453 or in person at several places in Visalia. The website contains details on schedules and pickup points.
Once in the park, visitors can board free shuttles, which run about every 15 minutes, to Sherman Tree, Moro Rock, Lodgepole Visitor Center, Wuksachi Lodge and other sites.
Visitors can still drive to and within the park, but on busy days they may have to hunt for a parking space.
"This weekend some of our major parking facilities were completely full, " said park spokeswoman Alexandra Picavet.
The trip by bus from Visalia to Sequoia takes about a half-hour more than by car because the bus travels more slowly and makes stops, said Cox, the transit manager.
But one advantage to taking the bus is that when you drive the winding road, the driver can't take in the scenery, Cox said.
And some drivers might not want to brave Generals Highway through the park, which Picavet said has 17 switchbacks in one 17-mile stretch.
The buses also are equipped to handle wheelchairs.
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