YOSEMITE — Travelers to Yosemite National Parks should be aware of some delays and road closures as maintenance is underway to prepare for the summer season.
Beginning Sunday, Apr. 4, Badger Pass Road will be accessible to Administrative Traffic only from Chinquapin to Badger and the gate will be locked accordingly. The Glacier Point Road will be closed to all traffic from Badger, as Roads will begin their plowing operations.
After plowing to Glacier Point, the road will remain closed as Roads performs necessary roadside and culvert maintenance.
Beginning Tuesday, Apr. 5, Roads and Trails will be repairing a damaged wall just east of Tunnel View. The southbound lane will be closed for part of Tuesday, with minor traffic delays. Work will continue throughout the week, but should not interfere with traffic.
The Tioga Road closes due to snow, usually from sometime in November through late May or early June. The road closure extends from the Tuolumne Grove, just east of Crane Flat, to Tioga Pass Entrance Station. (Highway 120, the continuation of the Tioga Road outside the park, is often closed in winter from Tioga Pass to five miles west of Lee Vining.)
When the Tioga Road is closed, it is not possible to drive to Tuolumne Meadows or enter Yosemite National Park from the east. All other park entrances, including those along Highway 120 from the west, Hetch Hetchy, Highway 140, and Highway 41, remain open all year.
For current road conditions throughout the park, call 209/372-0200 (press 1 then 1) for the most up-to-date conditions, or visit https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/conditions.htm
The Mariposa Grove is currently closed with no vehicle or shuttle access available, from July 6, 2015 until approximately spring 2017. South Entrance and the Wawona Road remain open. Once the project is completed, visitors to the Mariposa Grove will notice:
- A consolidated parking area and information station at South Entrance
- Many of the roads within the grove converted into hiking trails
- Over a half-mile of new accessible trails and boardwalks providing universal access for all visitors to the grove
- Flush toilets replacing vault toilets in the grove
- Removal from the grove of commercial activities such as the gift shop and tram tours
Foot and equestrian access is allowed along the Outer Loop Trail, from which a relatively small number of sequoias are visible. Hikers and equestrians must remain on the trail, which travels through a closed area; the grove beyond the trail is closed and all other trails within the grove are closed.
Hiking to the Outer Loop Trail involves a strenuous, 12-mile round-trip hike with 2,400 feet of elevation change (this doesn’t include hiking the Outer Loop Trail). Allow eight to 10 hours for the hike.
Drinking water and restrooms are not available. The trail begins in Wawona behind the last uphill building (Moore Cottage) of the Big Trees Lodge (formerly Wawona Hotel). Look for the trailhead 50 yards uphill marked by the sign “Two Hour Trail Ride.”
The Big Trees Tram Tour permanently ended in 2014. The Wawona-Mariposa Grove shuttle is not operating, but is planned to be replaced with a shuttle from South Entrance to the Mariposa Grove when the grove reopens.
For more information on the Mariposa Grove project, visit https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/mariposagrove.htm
