Sequoia-Kings briefly closes Generals Highway due to rockslides

Snow closed both the Highway 180 and Highway 198 routes into Sequoia National Park for a few hours Monday. The park reported snow as low as 1,600 feet and noted that several rock slides led to the closure.

The Generals Highway in Sequoia was reported reopened at 4 p.m. and both state roads were open as well, though chains were required on Highway 180 inside the park.

The heavy snowfall also forced about 700 middle and high school students to stay at Hume Lake Christian Camps an extra night after the weekend winter camp ended.

A Hume spokeswoman said the students remained at the camp Sunday night because roads were too snowy and slick for buses to navigate in trying to leave. The camp is located at 5,200 feet in Sequoia National Forest where about 18 inches of snow fell Sunday, she said.

The students were from all over California, including churches in the San Joaquin Valley. By Monday afternoon, the roads were cleared enough for the buses to roll out, she said.

This story was originally published February 1, 2016 at 2:02 PM with the headline "Sequoia-Kings briefly closes Generals Highway due to rockslides."