HWY 120 Tioga Pass To Open This Week

Published May 13, 2026 12:59 pm

Yosemite National Park photo

Yosemite, CA—Highway 120 Tioga Pass in Yosemite National Park will reopen for the summer season on Friday, May 15, 2026.

Park officials say visitors can enjoy expanded access across the park, including the reopening of popular trails, climbing areas, and full campground availability.

“Yosemite continues to expand access while protecting the park’s extraordinary resources,” said Superintendent Ray McPadden. “We’re excited to welcome visitors to more areas of the park this summer and encourage everyone to plan ahead for a safe and enjoyable experience.”

This is the earliest opening in 16 years of Tioga Road (the extension of Highway 120 through the park), giving visitors access to Tuolumne Meadows and the high country. There is no drinking water or food service available along the road corridor, and the only restrooms are vault and portable toilets. No campgrounds are yet open along the Tioga Road. The Tuolumne Meadows Visitor Center and Wilderness Center remain closed until further notice. Park officials advised, “Bring appropriate levels of food, water, and fuel for your trip. Gas is not available from Crane Flat to Lee Vining.” As we reported here on Saturday morning, Glacier Point Road reopened to traffic, with no drinking water available and vault toilets open. We reported here last week that Highway 4 Ebbetts Pass in Alpine County reopened for the 2026 season on Wednesday (5/6/26), and Highway 108 Sonora Pass in Tuolumne County, which was already open for the season in April, was temporarily shut down due to stormy weather that blew through and reopened at Kennedy Meadows on Thursday (5/7/26).

“These roads provide visitors with convenient entry points to Yosemite’s high Sierra, with opportunities ranging from short day hikes to more remote wilderness experiences,” advised park officials.

Yosemite park officials provided these additional details regarding roadways and other openings in the park:

• All Yosemite front-country campgrounds will be open this summer and available for reservation via Recreation.gov. Most high Sierra camps are returning to operation, offering visitors additional opportunities to experience the park’s backcountry.
• Also, reopening is a section of the Valley Loop Trail near Royal Arches and several popular climbing routes that were previously closed for safety monitoring. The Ice Cut section of the John Muir Trail is also expected to reopen in July following visitor safety and trail improvements.
• Overnight wilderness trips require a wilderness permit, which can be reserved in advance on Recreation.gov.
• Hiking to the top of Half Dome, 5,000 feet above Yosemite Valley, will open May 15. Half Dome daily lottery permits open today. The daily lottery application period is two days in advance of the desired hiking date.

Visitors should expect traffic if visiting on weekends, especially on Saturday mornings. To help reduce congestion, park officials strongly encourage visitors to:

• Purchase a Yosemite digital site pass in advance on Recreation.gov.
• Purchase a digital America the Beautiful pass to visit multiple parks.
• Visit midweek:
• Arrive early in the morning or later in the afternoon.

Explore beyond Yosemite Valley:

Digital park passes purchased in advance can significantly reduce time spent at entrance stations and help improve traffic flow into the park.

All visitors are encouraged to check current conditions, plan ahead, and prepare for changing weather and busy conditions. Parking in Yosemite Valley fills early during peak summer days, and services may be limited in some areas.

For more information, trip-planning resources, and to purchase entrance passes, visit www.nps.gov/yose or https://www.recreation.gov/pass.