Hike-in tent cabins at Sequoia National Park high camp available

Reservations for tent cabins along the High Sierra Trail in Sequoia National Park usually sell out in a few hours when the booking period opens in January. But this year spaces are still available in August and September for the six cabins at 7,800 feet because of a legal wrangle over the use of pack animals that delayed the camp’s opening.

Bearpaw High Sierra Camp, a park tradition for 80 years, is a treat for guests who hike in 11.5 miles and find beds, hot showers and home-cooked meals awaiting them amid a quiet Sierra meadow.

Spaces are available for Wednesday and Thursday as well as Aug. 5, 15, 26 and Sept. 19-22. Prices start at $175 a person a night, based on double occupancy. It includes bedding, cabins and daily breakfast and dinner.

The camp opened June 29, later than anticipated, after a federal judge in January ruled the National Park Service violated the Wilderness Act by not including a management plan to evaluate the effect of pack animals, according to a story in the Fresno Bee. The action halted permits for all commercial horse and mule packers until the same judge issued temporary authorization for a limited amount of permits in May.

Info: Bearpaw High Sierra Camp, (866) 807-3598