Epic winter to blame for closure of famed Yosemite roadway
An iconic road featuring breathtaking views of Yosemite National Park will remain closed for perhaps longer than ever before.
Damage can be seen along the scenic Tioga Road below Olmsted Point in Yosemite National Park in an update provided on July 14, 2023. (Yosemite National Park)
Tioga Road, one of the iconic highways leading to Yosemite National Park, will remain closed as crews continue to repair damage from the historic snowfall that accumulated over the winter.
The scenic roadway, also known as California Highway 120, is a breathtakingly beautiful route that climbs through the valleys and lakes of Yosemite, according to the Yosemite Mariposa County Tourism Bureau. However, it will take longer this year before visitors can utilize the road to obtain scenic views of the park.
The National Parks Service said on its website last Friday that Tioga Road will remain closed through at least July 23 due to damage caused by the historic snow the area received last winter. Tuolumne Meadows, located about 15 miles northeast of Yosemite Valley, received 170 inches of snow in just the month of March.
“I wish I had something good to tell you, but it’s a mess up there,” park ranger Steve Lyon told KQED.
More than 60 percent of the structures along the Tioga corridor were affected by the astonishing amount of snow -- including a ranger station that is being torn down -- according to KQED. The housing utilized by rangers and other staff is in need of repair, prompting longer delays for the reopening of the route.
"We can’t open it until we can have rangers up there patrolling,” Lyon explained to KQED.
In addition to structure repairs, the road has also undergone months of plowing from tracked vehicles, bulldozers, rotary plows and other heavy equipment. As of July 14, workers continue to remove trees in danger of falling onto the road, clean snow from side roads and parking lots, and repair and inspect damaged buildings. In addition to snow, large boulders needed to be cleared from Tioga Road.
"When the road opens to the public, visitors should expect short delays associated with traffic lights at damaged locations, and longer delays when contractors are making repairs," the park advised in an online statement, adding, "We are optimistic it will open before the end of the July."
Tioga Road typically reopens before July, allowing visitors to utilize the scenic route as part of their summer park experience. The road remaining closed into July is rare, especially past the middle of the month. The only other time that the road remained closed later than July 15 was in 1917 when it didn't open until July 19. That record will likely be broken.
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