Squaw Valley

These reference points answer different planning questions: Where do you pay the entrance fee for the national parks, what winter options does the National Park Service mention, and how can you get a sense of the area? Which question takes priority depends on your travel plans; compare these highlights with the specific details of each hotel offer.

Big Stump Entrance Station and Highway 180

The Big Stump Entrance Station is on Highway 180, 20 miles east of Squaw Valley and three miles east of the intersection of Highway 245 and Highway 180. Visitors pay the entrance fee there for Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, as well as for the Hume Lake District of Sequoia National Forest. In Fresno County, Highway 180 is the only major access road to Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks. Seasonal road conditions may vary.

Winter activities nearby

The National Park Service lists sledding, skiing, and snowshoeing at Big Stump or Columbine; Columbine is near Grant Grove Village. The National Park Service page about these winter activities was last updated on November 27, 2024. Check current park and road conditions before driving in winter.

Foothills and proposed wine region

Remeadies Intoxicating Potions is located on a five-acre site in the Sierra Nevada Foothills, immediately outside Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. If you are considering a visit, check current visiting options in advance.

A federal notice in 2015 proposed a Squaw Valley–Miramonte AVA. The 2015 notice described the proposed area as a predominantly rural region in the Sierra Nevada foothills. It included the communities of Squaw Valley, Dunlap, and Miramonte and, according to the notice, did not overlap with any existing AVA. The 2015 notice put the area of the proposed region at about 44,690 acres and identified three bonded wineries and five commercially producing vineyards with a total of 7.5 acres of vines within it. The notice referred to about 44,690 acres as the area of the entire proposed region and 7.5 acres as the vineyard acreage of the five commercially producing vineyards.

Fresno as the wider travel destination

In the wider Fresno destination, Fresno County’s recreational facilities include 12 parks, two fishing access points, and a boat ramp with parking at Shaver Lake. Millerton Lake State Recreation Area is a Sierra Nevada foothills reservoir in Fresno and Madera counties. The Fresno County Blossom Trail can be driven; because the orchards are privately owned, visitors photograph the blossoms from the roadside.

Two different highlights can help when comparing hotels: Big Stump is the entrance station and also one of the winter locations mentioned by the National Park Service; Columbine is the other winter location mentioned, near Grant Grove Village. Check the stated location for specific hotel offers and compare it with your travel plans.

Discover more destinations: Coalinga, Orange Cove, Shaver Lake, Fresno, Lakeshore, Parlier, Fowler, Cantua Creek

Return to the wider travel overview: Fresno.