Tioga Road To Reopen This Weekend
View VideoYosemite, CA — Tioga Road (the continuation of Highway 120 through the park) will open to travelers this weekend.
At 8 a.m. on Saturday, July 22, visitors can once again travel along Tioga Road. Park road officials relay that the roadway has some damage, and motorists should watch for one-lane sections with delays of up to 15 minutes just east of Olmsted Point. Last Saturday, as reported here, park officials stated that there was still debris like boulders and trees in the roadway that needed to be removed and they hoped to have Tioga Road opened before August.
“While vaults and portable toilets will be available, there will be no water, no store or food service, and no fuel, advised park officials, who added, “Be sure to bring all the food and water you need.”
The Tuolumne Meadows Wilderness Center will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and a general information desk near the visitor center will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. There is no estimate of when Tamarack Flat or Porcupine Flat Campgrounds will open. Other campgrounds on Tioga Road will not open this year, according to park officials.
Snow remains in some shady areas as low as 8,000 feet, with deep snow coverage at 9,000 feet. Some meadows and trails are still flooded. Park officials ask that visitors stay on trails to protect growing plants and plan for wet feet. They added, “Marked trails may be hard or impossible to follow; hikers should have GPS as well as a map and compass (and know how to use them).”
