The Insiders Guide to Yosemite
Starting at 5:00am on May 1st, 2017 the Big Oak Flat road will again be open to vehicular traffic. This is great news for local businesses along Highway 120 and visitors alike.
Road work will still be underway when the road reopens. Visitors planning to drive over Big Oak Flat road should be prepared for one-lane traffic closures with waits up to 15 minutes. The road will be closed from 7:00 pm to 5:00 am for several days as work crews finalize the repairs to the Big Oak Flat road.
Big Oak Flat Road is closed between Crane Flat and Foresta after a 100-foot fissure opened in the middle of the road during the recent heavy rains. The fissure is believed to have been caused by saturated soils beneath.
Currently Hodgdon Meadow, Crane Flat and Hetch Hetchy are still available from the Highway 120/Big Oak Flat Road entrance but are cut off from Yosemite Valley. Visitors staying along Highway 120 or at Hodgdon Meadow will need to drive down the hill to Groveland and take Highway 132 to Coulterville and then Highway 49 to Mariposa and then Highway 140 into the park. Or, descend Priests Grade to Highway 49 and then take 49 to Mariposa and Highway 140 into the park.
I caution you, both Highway 132 around Greeley Hill and Highway 49 from Coulterville to Bear Valley have some pretty tight, hair-pin turns. Take it slow and don’t try to fly. Both have helipads close by because the amount of fatalities caused by reckless driving. I spent the majority of my younger years vomiting every time we went down Highway 49 to Bear Valley and that was unfortunately quite a bit.
Photo courtesy National Park Service.
With the reopening of Highway 41 from Fresno (at least in part) you’re probably wondering when the Big Oak Flat Road will reopen connecting Yosemite with it’s western neighbors along Highway 120. Well the official word is, not any time soon.
The Federal Highway Administration and National Park Service in Yosemite are continuing to work to develop a plan to repair the destroyed section of roadway but as of yet there is no expected opening date. Until then you’ll have to continue to use Highway 140 from Mariposa to access Yosemite Valley or Highway 41 from Fresno.
The Big Oak Flat Road between Foresta and Crane Flat is closed due to continuing storm damage. It’s uncertain when the road will reopen.
Highway 41 is closed south of Yosemite for at least three days for repairs. Check Caltrans for updates: http://dot.ca.gov/hq/roadinfo/sr41 or 800/427-7623.
Currently, the only outside access to Yosemite Valley is via Highway 140.
The Big Oak Flat Road and El Portal Road have reopened to traffic into Yosemite Valley but we’re not out of the woods yet. Snow and heavy rains are expected to continue into this weekend with a flood warning in effect until Saturday.
Currently there is also a flood warning in effect in Yosemite Valley as the Merced River has surpassed 10 feet and flowing into campgrounds, low lying areas and nearing the top of Swinging Bridge.
If you’re headed up to the park use caution as the wet weather is making slopes unstable and lots of rocks are falling on the roads.
Other areas of California are also experiencing flooding with some highways and towns being completely inundated with water.
The Big Oak Flat Road is closed from Crane Flat to Foresta Junction due to rock fall. The road is expected to be unavailable for at least 24 hours while crews clear the debris. Visitors should take Highway 140 into the park.
The National Park Service is reporting that Highway 41 from Chilnualna Falls Intersection to Bridalveil Falls and Highway 120 from the Big Oak Flat Entrance to the Foresta Junction are both closed de to heavy snow. Crews are working to clear both roads.
The park has been receiving steady snow at higher elevations and a mixture of snow and rain at lower elevations over the last few days. All visitors should carry snow chains in their vehicle and be prepared to chain up at any time. Winter conditions exist on all park roads.
Update: All roads have reopened into the park. Chains may be required on roads at any time. Winter conditions exist within the park with snow and ice on road surfaces.
All roads have reopened into Yosemite Valley. Expect delays along Highway 140 and 120 for construction and the continued clean up effort from last weeks storm. Snow and ice exist on park roads so use caution, drive slow and carry chains. Chains may become mandatory at any time. Roads may not be optimal for low clearance vehicles.
Winter weather is still making it hard to get to Yosemite Valley. Highway 140 from Mariposa has closed due to rockfall brought on by wet conditions in the latest storm and the Big Oak Flat Road (Highway 120) from Groveland and Big Oak Flat is temporarily closed due to plowing operations. Access to Yosemite Valley is still possible via the Wawona Road (Highway 41) from Oakhurst/Fresno. Updates to road conditions are available by calling (209) 372-0200.
Although they were able to stay open a lot longer than normal, the Tioga and Glacier Point Roads in Yosemite National Park have finally closed for the season. The series of storms that passed through area over the last several weeks has resulted in a decent amount of snow at the higher elevations, enough so to close the roads for the winter. Hopefully more snow will be on the way and we’ll see a late opening of the road next spring. Snow is the one thing we need more than anything.
An accumulation of snow also means that Yosemite Ski and Snowboard Area, formerly known as Badger Pass, will soon be open if conditions continue to be favorable. The ski area is slated to open December 16th, 2016 – conditions permitting.
By the way, the photo used in this post in no way reflects the current conditions within the park. It’s an old photo that I particularly liked.
