Why is the Big Oak Flat Road still closed?

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.