Tioga Pass is Closed
An early winter has hit the Sierra Nevada and Tioga Pass is closed…its earliest closing date in recent years. Two winter-type storms in less than a week sealed the fate of the Highway 120 link east to Highway 395. That means that park visitors are unable to use 120 east to the 395 to take advantage of the 395 corridor north to Lake Tahoe or south to Mammoth or Lake Tahoe.
Travelers by car from the east can still access Yosemite but only via Highways 88, 50 or 80. Then they proceed west to Highway 49 and head south to the desired western corridor to Yosemite (120, 140 or 41).
Please be advised: The Highway 120 corridor to Yosemite from the west has not closed. It is open year round except for short periods during winter storms.
For the latest road conditions, we invite you to visit our road conditions link on the Yosemite/Gold Country homepage.
10/25/96
Mountain Lion Study
Mountain lions are no strangers to Yosemite. There were more than 100 sightings in the park in 1994…the most in park history. Fortunately there have been no reported fatalities…nor injuries…but park officials are concerned nevertheless. …Concerned enough that the National Park Service and the Biological Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey have embarked on a new ambitious big cat survey.
Most of the focus will be in the much-visited Yosemite Valley. Information gathered will be used to determine the population of the animals and then try to determine future management strategies and educational programs aimed at minimizing potential conflicts between humans and mountain lions.
10/20/96
Half Dome Cables Down
A sign of the season: the cables on Half Dome are down. During warmer weather, those same cables extend some 900 feet up the steep shoulder of the 8,842-foot dome…allowing adventurous visitors access to the summit. There’s good reason to make the trek. Visitors experience unparalleled vistas on the valley, waterfalls, cliffs and mountain peaks.
FYI: the Sierra Club, back in 1919, donated funds to install the very first cables on Half Dome. Those were replaced by the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) in the 1930’s and replaced once again in 1985. The cables are removed each fall for safety concerns.