Yosemite National Park is scheduled to reopen Saturday, after historic snows shut the iconic high sierra valley to visitors.
The park, known for its stunning rock formations, gushing waterfalls and pristine meadows is usually open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, according to the National Park Service’s Yosemite website.
Yosemite National Park will restore minimal public access starting Saturday, March 18, 2023. Yosemite Valley will be open from sunrise to sunset starting Saturday, with very limited services available. 1/11
— Yosemite National Park (@YosemiteNPS) March 17, 2023
But after severe storms deposited up to 15 feet of snow in parts of the park in late February, all access to the popular tourist destination was suspended and crews have been working to clear roads and restore key infrastructure.
During the closure, Yosemite unveiled a new live webcam to showcase the epic views of El Capitan, Half Dome and the Yosemite Valley.
The latest information posted on the Yosemite website says: “Yosemite Valley will be open from sunrise to sunset starting Saturday, with very limited services available. Access will be via Hwy 140 only. Hetch Hetchy will also open, 8 am to 5 pm.”
Anyone willing to brave the chilly early spring conditions in the park should be prepared for more winter weather. Current forecasts show snow descending on the valley starting on Sunday and continuing through the first half of the week.
According to Drew Tuma, a meteorologist for ABC 7, Yosemite could get as much as 2 feet of snow between Tuesday and Wednesday.