Your source for weekly news, information and updates in the Yosemite National Park region and beyond updated September 4th, 2024.
Information Desk is located at 11892 Ponderosa Lane at our Yosemite Basecamp from 8am - 6pm most days and 8am-8pm Friday and Saturday!
You can also join us at 5:30pm every Friday and Saturday at our Yosemite Basecamp for an entertaining and informative live orientation with Bob Turney!
Reservations
Reservations will be required for dates in green between 5 am to 4 pm. For full day or half day reservations visit https://www.recreation.gov/timed-entry/10086745.
You do not need reservations if:
you are entering on one of our guided tours
you have a Half Dome or wilderness permit
you have lodging or camping reservations inside of Yosemite National Park
you are entering on YARTS
you are on foot, bike or horse
Road Closures & Detours
Tioga Road
Tioga Road and the Highway 120 entering the Park from Lee Vining and Mammoth Lakes, CA is open for the season.
Beginning August 26th, Mather Forestry will be working along the Tioga Road between White Wolf and Olmsted Point. Work will take place Mondays through Thursdays, 7:30am to 4:30pm. Expect traffic delays.
Hetch Hetchy Road
Hetchy Road, from the intersection of Evergreen Road and Mather Road, is open daily from sunrise to sunset. This road does not require reservation and become congested during peak visitation times.
Evergreen Road, a rough county road leading to Hetch Hetchy will see earth-moving for final phase of the Ackerson Meadow Restoration Project. This phase is set to begin on July 29th, with more substantial project actions to begin on August 5th. Operations are planned through October 31. Please watch for trucks on roads in the area.
Big Oak Flat Road
Big Oak Flat Road & Highway 120 entering the Park from Groveland, CA is open.
Wawona Road
Wawona Road & Highway 41 entering the Park from Oakhurst, CA, is open, but may experience delays due to heavy traffic during peak visitation.
Mariposa Grove Road
The road leading into the Mariposa Grove is free of delays. Road is open only to vehicles displaying disability placards. All others must use the free shuttle from the Mariposa Grove Welcome Plaza which operates approximately late May through November.
El Portal Road
El Portal Road and Highway 140 entering the Park from Mariposa, CA are not closed, but may experience delays.
Valley Forestry will be performing residential tree trimming and hazard removal in Old El Portal, Rancheria and Yosemite Valley through the end of September. Workers will be entering yards for tree inspection and trimming
Arch Rock Entrance Bypass Project:
If you travel along the El Portal Road (Hwy 140) between Yosemite Valley and El Portal you may have noticed traffic cones and barricades being staged along the side of the road. This week we will be setting-up the Arch Rock Bypass in time for the approaching busy weekend.
This summer we will be piloting the Arch Rock Bypass on the El Portal Road (Hwy 140). The bypass is essentially a temporary traffic control operation that will allow authorized vehicles to travel up the outbound lane and "bypass" the line at the entrance station. This will be set up like a construction zone with signs warning travelers about a flagger / detour ahead, uniformed staff will be stationed at both ends of the bypass. The half-mile bypass will start at Little Windy Point on the west side and extend up El Portal Road to the east side of the Arch Rock Entrance. This will allow authorized vehicles to bypass up to 80 vehicles waiting at the entrance station.
If you travel El Portal Road, you may be able to use the bypass. We hope to operate the bypass every day a reservation is required, typically during morning commuting hours until mid-day, depending on length of the line at the entrance station and availability of staff.
What vehicles are authorized vehicles? Government vehicles with I or G plates, Privately owned vehicles with an employee or resident sticker, or Vehicles with an admin pass (e.g., contractors, vendors, Tribal members)
Travelers leaving the park on El Portal Road in the morning should expect up to a 10-minute delay when the bypass is operating. The bypass will stop mid-day, before most vehicles are leaving the park. As always, please slow down as you approach Arch Rock Entrance.
State Route 140 (SR-140) between Cathey’s Valley and the town of Mariposa will undergo improvements throughout the summer. Work will include pavement preservation with hot-mix asphalt, and removal and installation of guardrails, culverts, dikes, shoulder backing, signage, and corner curb ramps at seven intersections. Crews will work night shifts for approximately 170 working days, Sunday through Thursday, with alternating lane closures on eastbound and westbound SR-140. Project completion is expected in December 2024.
Glacier Point Road
Glacier Point Road is open for the season!
The Badger Pass cutoff road is closed.
Crews are addressing some drainage issues along the Glacier Point Road from Wednesday, Sept. 4th - 20th. So as part of this work there will be alternating single lane traffic control with up to 15-minute delays between 6AM and 8PM, Monday thru Friday. Please be patient, drive safe and aware of the additional time you will need to your destination.
Yosemite Valley Roads
All roads within Yosemite Valley are subject to heavy traffic during the season.
Road crews are working from crane flat to the 120/140 junction clearing drainages please watch for workers and equipment, expect up to 15 minute traffic delays
From 7/29-11/8, there will be periodically closures of the left-hand lane of Northside Drive for approximately 2500 feet west of and in front of the El Capitan picnic area in order to stage trucks for off hauling of waste/soil from the site.
Recreational Conditions
Valley Loop Trail near El Capitan
The Valley Loop trail will be barricaded at the west end of the project site near El Capitan and at the entrance to the project site south of the El Capitan picnic area. A trail detour is available to hikers by walking north of the project site. The contractor will also be periodically closing the left-hand lane of Northside Drive for approximately 2500 feet west of and in front of the El Capitan picnic area in order to stage trucks for off hauling of waste/soil from the site.
Closed Campgrounds
Crane Flat, Tamarack Flat, White Wolf, Yosemite Creek, and Tuolumne Meadow
Mist Trail Repair
From July 1st - October 31st 2024 the Lower Mist Trail - from the John Muir Trail (JMT) junction (just uphill from the Vernal Fall Footbridge) to the top of Vernal Fall - will be closed M-TH between 7:00am and 3:30pm from 7/1/24 – 10/31/24 (subject to change). The trail will remain open Fridays, weekends and holidays. It is expected to be open overnight, however there may be certain days when trail crew is not able to make it safe to open overnight. In that case, the gates will remain closed, and signs will be posted at the two closure gates that the trail is closed. Hikers and backpackers headed to Half Dome and points beyond from the trailhead at Happy Isles may hike uphill on the Mist Trail if they reach the Mist Trail/JMT junction by 7:00am, Monday through Thursday. Otherwise, they must hike the JMT
Valley Loop Trail
A short section of the Valley Loop Trail at The Ahwahnee is closed due to rockfall risk, although a short detour is available.
Merced Grove of Giant Sequoias
Merced Grove Trail will be closed starting July 8 for tree work/biomass removal. The closure is expected to last about two months.
Elizabeth Lake Trailhead
Elizabeth Lake Trailhead (in Tuolumne Meadows Campground) is closed. Start from the visitor center or Dog Lake parking areas instead.
Half Dome
The Half Dome cables are up for the season; they are planned to remain in place through October 15. A permit is required to hike to the top of Half Dome when the cables are up.
Peregrin Falcon Climbing Closures
All Falcon Closure were lifted on July 15th.
Additional Climbing Closures
Serenity Crack and Super Slide Climbing Area Closure: Closure includes all routes between and including Peruvian Flake West to the Rhombus Wall. The popular routes Serenity Crack/Sons of Yesterday, and Super Slide are included in the closure.
Fire Update – August 26, 2024
Middle
Location: Near the Middle Fork of the Tuolumne River, west of White Wolf Lodge.
Elevation: 7,000 feet
Discover date: August 4, 2024
Size: 310 acres
Containment: 100%
Cause: Lightning
Trail closures are still in effect impacting the trail along Long Gulch Creek, between Aspen Valley and White Wolf.
All remaining fires are being managed with a confined contained strategy/ monitor by Yosemite Fire crews.
Morrison
Location: One mile north of Morrison Creek
Discovery Date: August 4, 2024
Size: 31 acres
Containment: 75%
Cause: Lightning
Echo
Location: North of Little Yosemite Valley above Echo Valley, near Merced Lake.
Discovery Date: August 2, 2024
Size: 6 acres
Containment: 0%
Cause: Lightning
Smoke and fire may be visible from Glacier Point and other park areas.
Yosemite Bear Facts
Latest Report | July 21, 2024
2024 Total Bear Incidents: 19
2024 Total Property Damage: $760
Bear Incident Comparisons (year to date—previous years compared to 2024):
Last year (2023) - up by 27%
Most Incidents (1998) - down by 95%
Fewest Incidents (2019) - up by 58%
Activity Summary
Bears have obtained unattended food from visitors and residents in Yosemite Valley and El Portal on multiple occasions. Tent cabins, picnic areas, and residential houses have all been targets of bears opportunistically finding food not properly stored.
In Yosemite Valley, two tagged male bears have been actively seeking human food at picnic areas and tent cabin sites. As the raspberries dwindle, apples are becoming the main draw for bears in Yosemite Valley. Untagged bears have been observed foraging on apples and leftover raspberries, sometimes in close proximity to people.
In El Portal, a female bear continues to approach and find food in and around unsecured residences. Fruiting trees in El Portal are also a current draw for bears to spend time too close to people and homes—please pick your fruit!
In early July, a human-bear encounter resulted in a minor injury to a hiker who inadvertently collided with a bear on Happy Isles Rd. The tagged bear had just obtained garbage from Upper Pines and ran into hiker walking down the road without a light.
Red Bear, Dead Bear: Please help protect wildlife by obeying speed limits and being prepared to stop for animals in roadways. Eleven bears have been hit by vehicles with two confirmed dead. One cub was taken to a wildlife rehabilitation center last week, it is likely the mother was hit by a vehicle.
Fascinating Bear Facts: Bears can travel great distances to return to a known food source. Relocated bears frequently return within days in Yosemite, and in the process of returning, risk encountering vehicles as well as human development. For this reason, YNP usually avoids relocating bears.
Other Wildlife: Summer is here! The Northern Pacific rattlesnake is a venomous species found in Yosemite. These snakes have excellent camouflage and are easy to miss when hiking hot, dusty trails, or scrambling through talus fields. Always check under objects and rocks when sitting to snack, and if you encounter a rattlesnake, give it plenty of room. Do not try to move the animal, it will move off trail on its own if given space.
Please report bear incidents and sightings:
Call the Save-A-Bear Hotline at 209-372-0322 or e-mail yose_bear_mgmt@nps.gov.
For more information about Yosemite’s bears, please visit:
Current Waterfall Conditions
Yosemite Falls | 2,425 ft | Flows: approximately November through July, with peak flow in May.
Current Condition: Upper is a wet stain on the granite. Lower is still a weak flow, but weakening.
Bridalveil Fall | 620 feet | Flows: all year, with peak flow in May
Current Condition: Low Flow
Nevada Fall | 594 feet | Flows: all year, with peak flow in late May.
Current Condition: Moderate Flow
Vernal Fall(s) | 317 feet | Flows: all year, though by mid to late summer, it narrows and separates into one, two, or three falls as water flows decrease; peaks in late May.
Current Condition: Low flow with separation
Wapama Falls | 1,400 feet | Flows: all year, with peak flow in May.
Current Conditions: low Flow
Chilnualna Falls | 2,200 feet | Flows: all year, with peak flow in May
Current Conditions: low Flow
Tuolumne River Flow Rates
For permitting and access information contact the Groveland Ranger District.
Flows will continue to remain elevated and may vary significantly over the coming weeks as weather changes and spring runoff season progresses.
Stated flow rates are best estimates and are subject to change as conditions and operational constraints evolve.
Nature in the News
Only 39% of 3,000 people surveyed by the Outdoor Recreation Consumer Study said they view national parks as a realistic travel option for people with disabilities, but technology can make them more accessible and change public perceptions. "I think when people think of wide-open spaces and the beautiful opportunities of national parks, they're thinking along the lines of hiking and camping and whitewater rafting - things that are very adventurous, very physical and very outside of everyday life," said Kelly Dawson, a writer and disability advocate.
The project at Ackerson Meadow is the largest wetlands restoration in Yosemite's history and is scheduled to finish next summer.
Yosemite National Park is seeking the public’s input on a plan to improve visitors’ access to and experience in the busy park during its peak season.
Yosemite National Park officials release video of a white-lined sphinx moth. Is it a hummingbird?
Yosemite and Gateway Communities in the News
Oakdale Leader
I'd agree if you only had time to knock out one hike on your visit to Yosemite as it packs a lot into the seven-mile round trip to Nevada Fall (1,900 ...
Sierra Sun Times
September 3, 2024 – The Mariposa Yosemite Symphony Orchestra's Grand 20th Anniversary Season kicks off on October 26 and 27 with concerts in both ...
MSN
Story by Jeff Ruddenham. • 13h. 1 / 23. 13. Yosemite's Iconic Landscapes. 2. Canyonlands National Park, Utah. 3. North Cascades National Park.
SFGATE
South of Yosemite, miles from anything resembling civilization, lie the Minarets. Twelve thousand feet high, their granite teeth tear jagged bites ...
The New York Times
In the Stanislaus National Forest, logging roads wind through firs and ponderosa pines, past 20-foot-tall burn piles — tons of scrap wood not ...
Upcoming Events
Come and enjoy the 28th Annual Tuolumne Meadows Poetry Festival
Saturday & Sunday, August 17 & 18.
Morning workshops and afternoon readings with music featured poets Nickole Brown, Lee Herrick, Cintia Santana, and musician Shira Kammen. The schedule: Saturday, August 17, 10:00-11:30 a.m. Poetry workshop with Nickole Brown. 2:00-3:30 p.m. Readings with featured poets and music. On Sunday, August 18, 10:00-11:30 a.m. Poetry workshop with Cintia Santana. At 2:00-3:30 p.m. Readings with featured poets and music. All are welcome. Reservation needed for peak hours entry into the park
Yosemite Orientation with Bob Turney
Join us at the Yosemite Basecamp in downtown Groveland at 11892 Ponderosa Lane every Friday and Saturday at 5:30pm for free, fun and informative presentation that will help you make the most of your time in Yosemite!
Meadow Restoration with Tuolumne River Trust
Thursday August 22 - Boney Flat Meadow
Tuesday September 3 - Boney Flat Meadow
Join TRT staff in restoration work at Boney Flat meadow above Long Barn on Highway 108 and learn to build Post-Assisted Log Structures, remove invasive plants, collect native seed and more! Last weeks' crew worked on 2 in-stream structures, removed 120 invasive plants and collected a variety of seed from meadow plants for reseeding future restoration projects. Be prepared to get your feet wet and release your inner beaver!
GROVELAND RANGER DISTRICT PRESENT SKINS, SCAT & SKULLS and FOR THE BIRDS
September 21, 2024 in Groveland, CA
49er Festival Presents The Taste of Tuolumne
AUGUST Wednesday, August 21 and 28 AT FIREFALL RANCH
Groveland Facelift
September 14th from 8am - 2pm with a Clean Up Party at 2pm at Mary Laveroni Park!
Do you know of anything happening in Yosemite National Park or the surrounding Gateways that you would like to share with visitors!? What about other tidbits you think we should share each week? Add in the comments or message us with more information!
Comments