Visiting California's National Parks? Wrap Your Car With A Tarp, First

Oct 14, 2024

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California is home to some of the most beautiful national parks in the US. While some require early reservations to gain entry, it is well worth it to pay the few extra dollars to see the beauty and variety of terrain California national parks offer. The state is home to some of the most scenic hikes in the nation, allowing visitors to spend a week exploring national parks while camping and enjoying some of the best parks for stargazing.

In some parks, it means keeping food at a distance to not draw bears that can damage the camp. But it is not only bears that can cause damage in national parks. Unfortunately, authorities are now recommending that visitors wrap their cars with tarps to avoid damage from local pests.

It may sound strange to bring a tarp to select national parks in California, but not doing so could mean the difference between ending an adventure at the parks on a high note versus a headache. Mischievous little critters find the undercarriages of cars very appealing and have no problem causing hundreds to thousands of dollars of damage in a short time. Here's what to know about protecting your vehicle from marmots in California national parks.

Those hoping to get close to the animals in US national parks should check out these locations that boast the highest density of wildlife.

Marmots are large ground squirrels with loud screams to warn their group of potential predators that are found at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park. Despite marmots being very cute and curious animals, do not let their small size be deceiving. Marmots are able to disable a car in a very short period of time.

During the spring and summer, marmots travel in groups throughout Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park. While groups of marmots look for food, they can easily become distracted if there is a car nearby. This is because they are drawn to the smell of the undercarriages of cars, thanks to the fluids required to make cars operate.

While exploring the undercarriages of cars, marmots will chew through belts, lines, and wires. This means that when attempting to leave Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park, visitors will be unable to do so due to the damage to their cars. Because of this, it is recommended to wrap cars in tarps before exploring the national park.

The Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks offer some of the most spectacular scenery in the world, and there's something for everyone to enjoy.

It may sound like a complicated process, but wrapping a car in a tarp is much easier than it sounds. This is because all that is needed to wrap a car in a tarp is a tarp and bungee cables or rope.

To wrap a car in a tarp, the following steps are necessary to do so successfully:

The tarp should be approximately halfway up the car doors if secured properly. There should not be any gaps or marmots may still get into the undercarriage.

In addition to wrapping cars while at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park, visitors can further dissuade marmots from being curious about the undercarriage by washing the underside of the car before coming to the park.

It used to be that chicken wire was the go-to for keeping marmots out of the undercarriage of a car. But, over the years, marmots have been able to figure out how to get around the chicken wire. Chicken wire may be a very short-term deterrent but will not protect a car during a day of adventure at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park from marmot destruction.

Nestled between the beautiful Sierra Nevada mountain and scenic Sequoia forest, Kings Canyon is an absolute treat for adventure enthusiasts.

Even by wrapping a car in a tarp at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park, there is always the possibility that marmots are able to find their way into the tarp. Checking for damage before turning on the car is recommended.

After taking the tarp off of the car, check it over. This inspection includes:

If all appears well with the car, then it is likely that marmots were kept away with the tarp. However, the undercarriage should also be checked to make sure there are not any stowaway marmots. It is not unheard of for marmots to not get out of the underside of the car before it takes off and be driven tens if not hundreds of miles from their home in the national park.

It may seem like a lot of effort to wrap a car with a tarp when visiting Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park. But if you skip this step, a lot more time, effort, and money will be spent fixing the car, thanks to the marmots and their mischievous behavior.

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