Yosemite National Park reopens after series of storms. Hours will be limited initially
After a long wait, officials at Yosemite National Park reopened the park in Central California Saturday, but with minimal public access.
Yosemite Valley will be open from sunrise until sunset Saturday and Sunday, park officials said.
The only route to take to Yosemite Valley is Highway 140 and El Portal Road, with a short detour in El Portal. Hetch Hetchy will also re-open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, but will only be accessible from Highway 120, west of Yosemite and Evergreen Road.
Other roads, such as Big Oak Flat and Wawona, will still be closed., officials said.
Some parts of the paved pedestrian paths in Yosemite Valley are clear of snow, however, other hiking trails are covered in snow. Officials recommend wearing waterproof boots and traction devices since paths can be icy.
Hiking on snow-covered trails is not recommended, officials said.
Yosemite Valley will open 24 hours each day starting Monday, March 20, with limited overnight lodging, even with another round of storms forecast to roll into the region.
Campgrounds will not open since the area is still buried in snow. Road closures remain a possibility, and officials recommend tire chains.
The park had been closed since Feb. 25 because of the storms that damaged roads and other buildings.
Since Feb. 21, Yosemite Valley has received over 21 inches of liquid precipitation and Tuolumne Meadows has received over 15 feet of new snow., officials said. Twenty-two rockslides occured with debris flows.
This story was originally published March 16, 2023 at 8:00 PM.
