Yosemite Orientation
- Yosemite Basecamp
- Apr 28
- 8 min read
Your source for weekly news, information and updates in the Yosemite National Park region and beyond updated April 27, 2026
Need more help? Stop by the Yosemite Basecamp Visitor Center and Outfitter located at 18688 Highway 120 and is open from 8am - 6pm!
Reservations & Entrance fees
Reservations and Entrance fees
There are no reservations in place for 2026.
Entrance fees have increased for international visitors:
Private Vehicle: $35 (valid for 7 consecutive days)
Motorcycle: $30
Individual: $20 per person
Annual Yosemite Pass: $70
America the Beautiful Pass: $80 (covers entrance fees for all U.S. national parks)
Non Resident Fee: $100.00
Non Resident Interagency Pass: $250.00
Road Conditions, Closures & Detours
During the winter months, all roads within Yosemite National Park are chain controlled, so motorist must have chains in their vehicle when entering. When chain controls are in effect, signs will be posted along the road indicating the type of requirement.
Requirement 1 (R-1): Chains are required on all vehicles except vehicles with snow tires.
Requirement 2 (R2): Chains or cables are required on all vehicles except four-wheel/all-wheel drive vehicles with snow tires.
Requirement 3 (R3): Chains or traction devices are required on all vehicles, no exceptions.
Tioga Road
Tioga Road and the Highway 120 entering the Park from Lee Vining and Mammoth Lakes, CA is closed for the season.
On April 24, 2026
There is no estimated opening date for Tioga Road.
Initial clearing of Tioga Road is complete, however, the road has repeatedly needed to be plowed again due to new storms (with more snow in the forecast). Additional work in progress includes:
Plowing turnouts, secondary roads, campgrounds, and parking areas.
Clearing trees that pose a safety hazard along roads and in administrative and visitor areas.
Repairing and setting up the potable water system, sewer system, and wastewater treatment plant.
Clearing culverts and ditches and repairing potholes and other damage to road.
Fabricating and replacing signs, as needed.
Tioga Road is typically open to vehicles from late May or June until sometime in November. Plowing typically begins around April 15. In some years, Tioga Road opens to cycling one or more days before opening to vehicles. If this occurs this year, we'll provide that information here.
Hetch Hetchy Road
Hetchy Road, from the intersection of Evergreen Road and Mather Road, is open from Sunrise to Sunset, but may have chain controls in place during inclement weather.
Big Oak Flat Road
Big Oak Flat Road & Highway 120 entering the Park from Groveland, CA is open, but may have chain controls in place during inclement weather.
Wawona Road
Wawona Road & Highway 41 entering the Park from Oakhurst, CA, is open, but may have chain controls in place during inclement weather. .
Mariposa Grove Road
The road leading into the Mariposa Grove is currently closed for the season. Mariposa Grove transportation service is discontinued temporarily, due to icy road conditions, a winter weather advisory, and freezing overnight temperatures in the forecast. The Welcome Center parking area remains open. The grove accessible to hike-in visitors who are prepared for snow and ice.
El Portal Road
El Portal Road and Highway 140 entering the Park from Mariposa, CA is closed for repairs and should reopen today
Glacier Point Road
Glacier Point Road is closed for the season. The Badger Pass cutoff road is closed.
April 28, 2026
There is no estimated opening date for vehicles for Glacier Point Road.
Glacier Point Road is open to bicycles as of April 28. Please be aware of administrative vehicle traffic and icy conditions.
Glacier Point Road is typically open to vehicles from sometime in May until sometime in November. Plowing typically begins around April 15.
In some years, Glacier Point Road opens to cycling one or more days before opening to vehicles. If this occurs this year, we'll provide that information here.
Yosemite Valley Roads
All roads within Yosemite Valley are open, but may have chain controls in place during inclement weather.
Recreational Conditions
Closed Campgrounds
Bridalveil Creek, Crane Flat, Tamarack Flat, White Wolf, Yosemite Creek, Housekeeping Camp, Porcupine Flat, Tuolumne Meadow, North Pines, Lower Pines.
The laundromat at Housekeeping Camp will stay open throughout the winter, and all other facilities will be closed until the 2025 season.
Half Dome
The Half Dome cables are down for the season; they are usually installed the the Friday before the last Monday in May, conditions permitting. A permit is required to hike to the top of Half Dome when the cables are up.
Climbing Conditions
Peregrine falcon and golden eagles are protected species in Yosemite due to their sensitivity to disturbance during the nesting season. To prevent nest failure, the superintendent closes designated nesting cliffs to visitor use until chicks have fledged and dispersed from those areas each year. If you encounter any raptors (falcons, eagles, hawks, etc.) while climbing. Under the authority of 36 CFR §1.5(a)(1), the following areas are closed to visitor use, including climbing and slacklining, beginning March 1, 2026, through July 15, 2026, or until further notice:
Arch Rock Area – Closure includes all routes on Arch Rock.
B.O.L.T. Wall – Immediately southwest of Leaning Tower. Closure includes all routes on the B.O.L.T. Wall.
El Capitan, SW Face – All routes between and including “Octopussy” to “Cosmos” are closed.
Elephant Rock, E Face – All routes on the East Face are closed. This includes all routes between and including "Crack of Redemption" to "Worst Error – Left Side." Slacklining is prohibited at the summit and the top of the adjacent cliff.
Half Dome, S Face – Closure includes all routes between and including “Lost Again” to “Southern Belle.”
Higher Cathedral Rock – Closure includes all routes between and including “Power Point” and “The North Face.” All other routes remain open.
Higher Cathedral Spire – Cathedral Spires Area. Closure includes all routes between and including “Northwest Face” to “Spire It Up.” The “Regular Route” remains open.
Mt. Broderick – All routes on the Southeast Face are closed. Closure includes all routes east of and including “Thugz Mansion.” “Unemployment Line” remains open.
Parkline Slab – The top 4 pitches of the climbing route “Eagle’s Eyrie” and top 3 pitches of “Moss Madness” are closed. All other routes at Parkline Slab, including the first 6 pitches of “Eagle’s Eyrie,” and the first 5 pitches of the “Moss Madness” remain open.
Rhombus Wall – Above Ahwahnee Meadow. Closure includes all routes west of “Super Slide” to the Ahwahnee Ramps, including all routes on the Rhombus Wall.
The Rostrum – Lower Merced Canyon. Closure includes climbing routes on all sides of the Rostrum formation. Super Nova and the Jungle Gym areas remain open. Slacklining is prohibited at the summit and the top of the adjacent cliff.
Upper Yosemite Fall – Closure includes all routes between and including “Sprayfest” to “Via Aqua.” This includes hiking the climber's approach/descent trail that forks off the Upper Yosemite Fall trail.
Wapama Cliff – Hetch Hetchy. All routes on Wapama Cliff are closed.
Wawona Dome – Closure includes all routes between and including “Cream of the Crop” to “Bark at the Moon.” From the base, the first pitches of the closed routes between and including “Lunar Eclipse” to “Bird in Flight” remain open.
Widow’s Tears – Closure includes all routes within the Widow’s Tears Alcove. Routes on Tower of Cosmic Winds remain open.
Fire Update – Nothing to report
Yosemite Bear Facts
Latest Report | April 28, 2026
2025 Total Bear Incidents: 28
2026 Total Bear Incidents: 1
Spring Bear Update
Bear Activity: Male bears emerged from their dens in mid-March. Several collared bears have been active in the Valley, including in Upper Pines campground. We have not yet seen sows with cubs this spring but have a few very active females with yearlings out and about in the park. Please protect yourself and bears by staying at least 50 yards away when viewing them.
Red Bear, Dead Bear: Please help protect wildlife by obeying speed limits and being prepared to stop for animals in roadways. Twenty-one bears were hit by vehicles in 2024 with three confirmed dead. No bears have been documented as hit-by-vehicle so far in 2025.
Fascinating Bear Facts: Bears shed their fur each year during the spring and summer, this is called molting. The bear’s sun-bleached fur is generally lighter in color than the new fur that grows in its place. This is why many bears appear to be blonde in the spring and darker in the fall.
Other Wildlife: A juvenile mountain lion was spotted on the Mirror Lake loop trail one evening in April.
Please report bear incidents and sightings:
Call the Save-A-Bear Hotline at 209-372-0322 or e-mail yose_bear_mgmt@nps.gov.
For more information about Yosemite’s bears, please visit:
Current Waterfall Conditions
Yosemite Falls | 2,425 ft | Flows: approximately November through July, with peak flow happening now.
Bridalveil Fall | 620 feet | Flows: Generally all year, with peak flow happening now.
Nevada Fall | 594 feet | Flows: All year, with peak flow in happening now - Mid May
Vernal Fall(s) | 317 feet | Flows: All year, though by mid to late summer, it narrows and separates into one, two, or three falls as water flows decrease; peaking now - Mid May
Wapama Falls | 1,400 feet | Flows: strong with peak now - mid May
Chilnualna Falls | 2,200 feet | Flows: all year, with peak flow happening now.
Tuolumne River Flow Rates
Lumsden Road has an anticipated reopening in mid May
Below are planned releases from HHWP facilities through April 29. An additional update will be provided next week.
Above-normal precipitation in April has resulted in additional planned UTREP releases. These releases will likely occur during the first half of May. Details on the next UTREP release will be communicated in a future update.
Intraday powerhouse cycling is expected to continue, following similar patterns. Continued unsettled weather will result in fluctuating natural runoff over the next 7 days. Spill from Lake Eleanor and inflows below HHWP reservoirs are expected to increase over the weekend. Continued elevated valve releases from Cherry Lake and Hetch Hetchy Reservoir are expected during this period.
Stated flow rates are best estimates and are subject to change as conditions and operational constraints evolve.
Hetch Hetchy Reservoir
Flows immediately below Hetch Hetchy are approximately 450 cfs
Valve releases may be reduced to 200 cfs
Kirkwood Powerhouse
00:00 – 09:00: spill 600 cfs
09:00 – 17:00: spill 0 cfs
17:00 – 00:00: spill 600 cfs
Cherry Reservoir
Total flows immediately below Cherry are approximately 540 cfs
Valve releases will decrease to 100 cfs or lower tomorrow
Holm Powerhouse
45 – 900+ cfs
Lake Eleanor
Valve releases below Eleanor are at approximately 300 cfs
Spill is approximately 200 cfs
Spill will fluctuate with natural inflows
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Meral’s Pool (best estimates, actual flows may differ)
Wednesday April 22
2,000 – 4,000 cfs
00:00 – 11:00: 4,000 cfs
11:00 – 19:00: 2,000 cfs
19:00 – 00:00: 4,000 cfs
Thursday April 23 – Wednesday April 29
1,500 – 3,500 cfs
00:00 – 11:00: 3,500 cfs
11:00 – 19:00: 1,500 cfs
19:00 – 00:00: 3,500 cfs
Nature in the News
Thank you California Department of Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, YosemiteNational Park, and Yosemite Conservancy.
Active NorCal
As many as 500 black bears call Yosemite National Park home, and they are waking up hungry.
Yosemite and Gateway Communities in the News
The Coalition To Protect America's National Parks
WASHINGTON — When families flocked to Yosemite National Park during their recent spring breaks, some met two-hour waits at the entrance gates
The Tuolumne County Republican Party is speaking out against the assassination attempt against President Donald… Trump: April Is National Child ...
Secret Los Angeles
... Yosemite. “There's a lot to be said for getting off the beaten path,” writes Pearson.
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