Christmas In Yosemite Still A Go
Yosemite, CA – Yosemite National Park remains open for the holidays but with some services not offered due to the partial government shutdown.
As earlier reported here, Tuolumne County Visitors Bureau reported that it had received word from park vendors that it “was likely the park word stay open.” Park officials now report that concession services including lodging, tours, restaurants and stores will all remain open to visitors. Restrooms that are not located near concession facilities are closed due to the reductions in staffing.
Entrance gates are also open but are not being staffed. Roads and hiking trails normally open at this time of year are still accessible. The roadways include Wawona Road/Highway 41, El Portal Road/Highway 140, Big Oak Flat Road/Highway 120 and the Badger Pass Road. Roads may close due to a natural event such as snow storms, rockslides and fallen trees. Hikers can still get to the top of Vernal and Nevada Falls but conditions may be snowy and icy. The Mist, John Muir and Four Mile trails are all closed.
Regarding other closures in the park, the public information office phone line is not staffed. All National Park Service programs are cancelled and the doors are shut at all visitor centers and the Yosemite Museum.
