Major entrance to Yosemite still closed after mudslide

Highway 140, a major gateway to Yosemite National Park, remains closed Wednesday after a Tuesday evening mudslide stranded several travelers and blocked the roadway at the park’s border with Mariposa County.

Caltrans reported that the roadway could remain closed for some time as crews work to clear the blockage. Yosemite reported around 11 a.m. that the road will be assessed for a possible reopening throughout the day.

No one was injured in the mudslide, but several people had to leave their vehicles and walk to nearby Yosemite View Lodge.

The park remains open, and visitors can access it through Highway 41, Big Oak Flat Road and Wawona Road.

The mudslide came after a rash of unusual July thunderstorms brought on by the remnants of tropical storm Dolores. The National Weather Service issued a flash-flood warning for parts of Modesto and Tuolumne counties that lasted until 11 p.m Tuesday, and flooding was reported on several roads west of Interstate 5 in Fresno and Kings counties.

For updates on Yosemite road conditions, call (209) 372-0200 or use this link.

The area is no stranger to natural impediments.

In 2011, a wave of March rainstorms caused mudslides and rockslides that closed Highway 140 from 1 mile east of Mariposa to the park gateway.

A similar rockslide closed the highway in 2009, and the Ferguson Rockslide in 2006 dumped 3 million cubic yards of rock and debris in April 2006.

This story will be updated with new information and photos and video by The Bee’s John Walker.

This story was originally published July 22, 2015 at 12:08 PM with the headline "Major entrance to Yosemite still closed after mudslide."