Yosemite access road via SR 120 to re-open

Big Oak Flat Road will reopen to all motor traffic at 5 a.m. Monday. Visitors entering the park via State Route 120 West will once again be able to drive via Big Oak Flat road to Yosemite Valley.

Road work will still be underway when the road reopens. Visitors planning to drive over Big Oak Flat road should be prepared for one-lane traffic closures with waits up to 15 minutes. The road will be closed from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. for several days as work crews finalize the repairs.

“A sincere thank you to Michael Pieper, Yosemite National Park civil engineer, who did an amazing job and ensured that this project was completed in a timely and safe manner,” said Chip Jenkins, National Park Service acting superintendent.

Severe winter storms have given new life to an underground spring, causing saturated, heavy soils under the road to slide downhill. Over 200 feet of roadway was impacted. As a result of the slide, the Big Oak Flat road from Crane Flat to Foresta Junction was unsafe for motor travel and closed for repairs since late February.

Now that the road is repaired, park entrance fees will be charged at the Big Oak Flat entrance station beginning Monday. The fees had been temporarily waived during the road closure.

The El Portal Road (SR 140) and the Wawona Road (SR 41) are open and clear to access Yosemite Valley and Wawona.

For updated 24-hour road and weather conditions for Yosemite National Park, call 209-372-0200, press 1 and press 1 again.