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Yosemite Valley's Closure Extended Through Sunday, August 5

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Published Date

July 31, 2018
Heavy smoke obscured the view of Half Dome from the Yosemite Valley on Tuesday/NPS Webcam

Heavy smoke obscured the view of Half Dome from the Yosemite Valley on Tuesday evening/NPS Webcam

Thick clouds of acrid smoke and heavy firefighting traffic prompted a decision Tuesday afternoon to extend the closure of Yosemite Valley, the Wawona area, and other popular destinations on the western edge of Yosemite National Park through the coming weekend.

Park officials said the iconic valley, Wawona Road, the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, the Merced Grove of Giant Sequoias, Hetch Hetchy, and other areas would remain closed to all visitors through Sunday due to continued unhealthy smoke impacts and ongoing firefighting operations. 

Yosemite Valley has been temporarily closed since July 25 due to smoke impacts and for firefighting operations along El Portal Road and the Wawona Road due to the Ferguson Fire.

The Big Oak Flat Road (Highway 120 West) to Crane Flat and Tioga Road (Highway 120 East) from Crane Flat to Tioga Pass remain open to all visitors and vehicles. Visitors are advised to drive with caution, as smoke impacts may vary. All trails and campgrounds along Tioga Road, including the Tuolumne Meadows Campground remain open. All visitor services along Tioga Road, including the High Sierra Camps and visitor services near Tuolumne Meadows remain open.

Since the Ferguson Fire began on Friday, July 13, several other park facilities and roads have been closed due to fire impacts and the need to support firefighting operations. These closures include Glacier Point Road, Bridalveil Creek Campground, Wawona Campground, and the Merced Grove of Giant Sequoias.

Yosemite National Park continues to work closely with the Incident Management Team and continues to assess park conditions daily.

For updated  24-hour road and weather conditions for Yosemite National Park, call 209-372-0200, press 1 and press 1 again. Updated information is also available on the park’s website at www.nps.gov/yose and on the Yosemite National Park Facebook page.    

The Ferguson Fire covered nearly 58,000 acres Tuesday, with one-third of the blaze contained.

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