(KMJ) Yosemite National Park is open for business, but for visitors, getting there could prove treacherous.
“We fully understand that this is a major impact to park visitors and businesses along the highway corridor,” stated Yosemite National Park Acting Superintendent Woody Smeck in a release. “We are working as quickly as we can to get the road reopened safely.”
Smeck says Yosemite workers are moving forward with repairs to the damaged Big Oak Flat Road (Highway 120 West) leading to Yosemite Valley.
Severe storms have damaged the road and it continues to be unsafe for vehicular travel, and has been closed since late February. There is no timetable for the road to re-open.
Visitors are still able to visit Yosemite National Park via the Big Oak Flat entrance. Crane Flat and the Merced and Tuolumne Groves of Giant Sequoias are accessible and open. The park has waived the entrance fee for visitors entering the park via Highway 120.
The Wawona Road (Highway 41) is currently open within Yosemite National Park. However, visitors traveling to the park from the south will not be able to access Yosemite National Park, on Highway 41, due to road damage on the highway in Fish Camp, just south of the park’s entrance. Caltrans is working on road repairs. Please check with Caltrans for current road conditions. http://www.dot.ca.gov/
Highway 140 (El Portal Road) remains open and clear for all vehicular traffic and is the only access to Yosemite Valley, the Yosemite Ski and Snowboard Area, and Wawona. Visitors traveling on this road are urged to drive slowly and be aware of rocks and debris on the road.
