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Expect Crowds At Yosemite National Park This Holiday Weekend

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Expect crowds at Yosemite National Park this weekend that could lead to traffic jams and parking issues/NPS

With heavy visitation expected this holiday weekend at Yosemite National Park, officials are recommending that you arrive early to avoid traffic jams and parking issues.

Visitors should plan on arriving at the park entrances by 9 a.m. each day. Parking in Yosemite Valley is expected to be especially challenging, so plan accordingly. Based on past holiday weekends, visitors arriving during peak hours have been delayed for up to two hours in east Yosemite Valley. The park has added approximately 300 parking spaces west of Yosemite Lodge. However, delays are still expected during the peak times.

Park visitors are also encouraged to utilize the free shuttle bus in Yosemite Valley. The shuttle bus route has recently been expanded and takes visitors to places such as El Capitan Meadow and Bridalveil Fall.

Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System is also a great way to get to the park. YARTS brings in visitors from Highways 120 West, 120 East, 41, and 140 corridors. Once in Yosemite Valley, visitors have a seamless transition to the park shuttle buses. For a schedule of routes and times, consult their website, www.yarts.com

Visitors are also urged to explore other areas within the Yosemite region. There are many areas of natural beauty and cultural significance surrounding the park. A variety of attractions in and around gateway communities such as Mariposa, Oakhurst, Sonora, and Mammoth Lakes offer great hiking and sightseeing opportunities.

Fireworks are strictly prohibited in the park. Additionally, with the ongoing drought, conditions are extremely dry and visitors are asked to avoid campfires unless absolutely necessary.

Visitors should also be mindful of the expected warm temperatures this weekend. They should drink plenty of fluids, avoid strenuous activity in the middle of the day, and be careful of overexertion. Watch for signs of heat stress and do not leave pets or children unattended in vehicles.

On Monday, July 6, work will ramp up on the Restoration of the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias Project; that will necessitate a temporary closure of the Mariposa Grove. The area will be closed for up to 24 months, depending on the progress of the work.

The landmark restoration project, begun last summer, will restore giant sequoia habitat and hydrology in the park’s largest grove of giant sequoias.The project will also improve restroom facilities, parking, and add accessible trails. When completed, there will be shuttle service between the South Entrance of the park and the Mariposa Grove. Please note that the Mariposa Grove Road will be closed to all public access, including bicycle and pedestrian traffic. Hiking trails within the Mariposa Grove will also be closed.

Also starting Monday, July 6, a free shuttle service will run from Badger Pass to Glacier Point. Visitors will be directed to the Badger Pass parking area between 10 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. The 30-minute shuttle ride will include stops at Sentinel Dome/Taft Point Trailhead and Washburn Point with additional stops upon request at McGurk Meadow, Ostrander Lake, and Mono Meadow Trailheads.

The last shuttle will depart Glacier Point at 5:30 p.m. Visitors with accessible placards, valid wilderness permits for trailheads along Glacier Point Road, or camping at Bridalveil Creek Campground will be allowed to continue to their destinations. The Badger Pass Ski Lodge remains closed for the season.

Comments

Better yet, just wait till the off-season. Does Yosemite Valley even *have* an off-season anymore?


Megaera, yes beginning late October and running usually until middle of April, depending on the weather. These draught years have lengthened the season, especially this year. Many people trying to get to the mountains to flee the extreme heat, particularly in the San Joaquin Valley. Lake Tahoe has been jammed also.


If someone had their heart set on seeing the Giant Sequoias and Mariposa is closed, do you have a suggestion to see them somewhere else either in Yosemite or in the SF Bay Area?


There's the Merced Grove at Yosemite along the Big Oak Flat Road, the North and South Calaveras Groves at Calaveras Big Trees State Park, Grants Grove at Kings Canyon National Park and, perhaps best of all, the Giant Forest at Sequoia National Park.


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