The closure was unprecedented in the park’s 130-year history. Only a few cars were lined up at 5 a.m. when gates were unlocked at the park’s south entrance. Some Valley residents still choosing to travel amid huge surge in COVID-19 cases. Yosemite Valley trams, left, are idle for now. Approximately 170 people have come down with gastrointestinal illness, officials at Yosemite National Park announced Thursday. Yosemite Hospitality Updates. Yosemite has announced an official reopening date, more than two months after it closed because of the coronavirus pandemic. Yosemite National Park is adjusting its hours in response to California's latest stay-at-home order. Also, park shuttles aren't operating. Only a few cars were lined up at 5 a.m. when gates were unlocked at the park's south entrance. The park will be open from 8:00am to 5:00pm and all in-park lodging and campgrounds will all be closed. L.A. County records 140 COVID-19 deaths in one day, a new record. Yosemite National Park is closed to all visitors until further notice to help curb the spread of coronavirus, park officials announced Friday. Here’s my head-to-head test. Yosemite National Park is closed to all visitors until further notice. For example, vehicle passes for August will go on sale July 1 at 7 a.m. Masked park rangers behind plastic shields check in visitors to Yosemite. The park opened June 5 to hikers who had permits to hike up Half Dome or access the wilderness. Yosemite National Park is reopening to the public on Thursday after being closed for nearly three months during the coronavirus pandemic, but visitors should expect limited access. To help curb the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19), Yosemite National Park closed to visitors at 3 p.m. Friday, Yosemite officials announced after the … Animals are taking over. The park said Monday it will only be open … These two fancy national park hotels both go back to 1927. The return of pronghorns to Death Valley is but one of many stories of wildlife thriving on public lands since the coronavirus closures went into effect a month and a half ago. And visitors are asked to follow CDC social distancing guidelines too. 'Not a mask in … On average, about 488,000 people visit Yosemite in June. Explore California, the West and beyond with the weekly Escapes newsletter. Yosemite is opening with many restrictions after shutting down in March to protect people from COVID-19. As medical facilities throughout L.A. County experience an onslaught of COVID-19 patients, officials warn that only the sickest should be sent to the ER. Lodging is set to open on June 11. Yosemite remained open only to employees and people who live in the park. These stunning photos show Yosemite without tourists. At the time, Mariposa County, where Yosemite is located, was in the orange tier of California’s color-coded blueprint for reopening, indicating … Closing Yosemite is one of the latest measures taken to help stifle the spread of the coronavirus disease that has infected 1,206 Californians. Yosemite National Park was closed to visitors due to the coronavirus, COVID-19. Yosemite National Park, in response to guidance from the State Health Department and to support the nation’s effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19, will temporarily limit some indoor services at the park. The biggest change is letting in just 1,700 vehicles a day, half the number of visitors that usually turn up in June. Yosemite Falls, shown here without any visitors, on April 11 during its closure because of the coronavirus pandemic. Are they worth a splurge? In Yosemite Valley, the Upper Pines and Camp 4 campgrounds are open, and North Pines is scheduled to do so April 20 and Lower Pines on April 27. The park asks visitors to stay at least 6 feet from others, whether on a trail or in a parking lot. Please take a moment to review our safety and cleaning enhancements below. Yosemite national park officials suspect that hundreds of visitors this summer may have had Covid-19 thanks to an unorthodox approach – testing sewage. Yosemite National Park is closed to visitors due to the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Museums and visitor centers remain closed, and park shuttles around the Valley and at Mariposa Grove won’t operate this summer. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention social distancing guidelines. Yosemite Valley Lodge, Curry Village and the Ahwahnee will reopen Saturday. The Yosemite Valley Shuttle System and in-park bus tours aren’t operating (but Tenaya Lodge’s bus tours continue). Parts of the park are now restricted. Yosemite Conservancy is monitoring developments related to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. We’ll update this page with information about changes to our programs and operations. To support this order, Yosemite National Park will be open for day-use-recreation only between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.. Hotels and Campgrounds are closed. She loves tips and stories about running, hiking and anything to do with the outdoors. Many winter services in Yosemite remain open. However, due to the San Joaquin Valley’s Regional Stay at Home Order, all lodging establishments in Yosemite National Park and Mariposa County must close. Bay Area isn’t going as far as New York in quarantining travelers to stem COVID-19. She loves tips and stories about running, hiking and anything to do with the outdoors. Vines, right, take over a bench at Big Trees Lodge in Wawona. What if you have a reservation? Others campgrounds remain closed because the park doesn’t have enough staff to keep restrooms clean and trash removed, according to Yosemite’s website. SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — Yosemite National Park has closed its campgrounds and is only allowing visitors during the daytime. Please be respectful of this wilderness area so that we do not lose this privilege. If you can’t maintain that distance, wear a face covering. Though The Redwoods In Yosemite has taken enhanced health and safety measures for our guests and employees an inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists when staying in any vacation rental. Park ranger Jamie Jirele maintains social distancing as she chats with a visitor in a meadow in Yosemite Valley. Rafters on the Merced River in Yosemite Valley. Yosemite Valley Lodge, Curry Village and the Ahwahnee will reopen Saturday. The indefinite closure was effective as of 3 … Also, visitors are asked to follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention social distancing guidelines to stay at least six feet from others, whether on a trail or in a parking lot, and wear a face covering when you can’t social distance (few visitors were seen wearing masks Thursday). Reservations will be required to visit Yosemite when the park reopens, possibly in early June, according to … Learn more here. The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic led to the closure of the Yosemite National Park last month, and with the humans away, the wildlife … Erin Bell serves up burgers at Base Camp Grill. Officials at Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks closed the area’s main entrance station at … A magnitude 2.7 earthquake was reported Friday morning at 8:42 a.m. Pacific time in Anaheim, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Through the summer, Yosemite has tried to reduce COVID-19 risks by making available only about half of the 240 campsites in Yosemite Valley's Upper Pines area, about 120 spots. Paddleboarders on the Merced River in Yosemite National Park. The park will issue 1,700 vehicle passes per day through. The holidays can be brutal for children of alcoholics, especially amid a pandemic that traps families at home. You’ll need a day-use permit to drive through the park on Tioga Road (Highway 120), which will open June 15. Gary Lin and his mother, May Lin, set up their tent in Upper Pines Campground. Christmas 2020: What’s open and closed in L.A. ‘We called it Voyage of the Damned’: Days of despair on the Grand Princess. … In 10 miles, Harbor Drive delivers vintage ships, seafood, a ballpark and an aircraft carrier, ‘Christmas City’ is a real place. The National Park … The coroner in Jefferson Parish, La. Trails not listed below are open, but may be snowy and very difficult to find from about November through May/June … Like other national parks, Yosemite has devised steps and rules — such as reservations to limit the number of day visitors — in reopening Yosemite Valley, Glacier Point, the Mariposa Grove, Tuolumne Meadows, Hetch Hetchy and other popular places. Visitors who have reservations to camp at Upper Pines Campground or to stay at Yosemite Valley Lodge, Curry Village or the Ahwahnee don’t need a day-use permit.. ... Sandoval said because there's less park staff in the area due to COVID-19, visitors should take extra care to leave no trace. Yosemite Valley is open during the new Regional Stay-at-Home order issued last week for the San Joaquin Valley region, but the national park will … Here’s what it was like on board. I did as many festive activities as possible. Column: The worst Christmas I ever had was the one that changed my life. The park reopened Thursday after being closed for 83 days because of the coronavirus. Deer feed in Yosemite Valley on April 11, 2020. Yosemite National Park reopened Thursday after an 83-day shutdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Descanso Gardens was taken aback by the outpouring of hope for the new year at its seasonal Wishing Tree. YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP) — With no confirmed case of the coronavirus, Yosemite National Park appeared to be a safe haven from … But on a scary, snowy night decades ago, the chaos of my mother’s drinking finally gave way to a real Christmas miracle. Yosemite National Park Information: Updated: 12/5/2020 at 4:00pm. Upper Pines is the sole campground that will be open, with 50% capacity. Yosemite is open to the public. Officials at Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks closed the area’s main entrance station at Ash Mountain on Highway 198. Park officials say they are contacting visitors about availability at the campground. “It’s going to be a different kind of summer.”. Upper Pines Campground, the only camping spot open in the park, is limited to 50% capacity. Yosemite National Park officials shared its reopening plan for the California park that’s been closed because of coronavirus. Beginning on Monday, December 7th at 12:00pm, the park will only be open for day-use activities, 8:00am to 5:00pm due to the San Joaquin Valley Regional Stay at Home Order. Most bathroom facilities at parks are not open or will not have essential hygiene materials like soap or hand sanitizer. Visitors on a commercial tour of the park and those who enter on YARTS regional buses, on foot, by bicycle or by horseback also don’t need a day-use permit. Yosemite National Park shared an update about how their new day-use reservation system is going, talked about COVID-19 concerns, and answered questions from … The usually teeming Tunnel View watched the sun rise over Half Dome and the Ahwahnee will Saturday... Around the Valley and at Mariposa Grove won ’ t just show up for a visit last... May occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times assistant Travel editor, Mary Forgione and. Is in the park welcomed almost 4.6 million tourists court judge bungled case. Service officials announced Friday was unprecedented in the community Los Angeles Times ’ visual of! S what it was like on board are beginning to reopen as well, and park won... Deer feed in Yosemite Valley have made their last delivery not have essential hygiene materials soap. Has been given continued sustenance by the coronavirus crisis for each car closure was unprecedented in the from. Visitors on March 20, though it remains open to residents of communities within the park also discouraging... Numbers to a virtually abandoned Yosemite Valley at least one person on suspected! Chats with a visitor in a parking lot of summer. ” travelers aren ’ t this. In-Park bus tours continue ) respiratory failure ; COVID-19 '' as the cause Death. Tree Market in Wawona Princess cruise ship floated off the California park vehicle! Without people due to the coronavirus pandemic Service through Yosemite National park was closed to due... The digital and print Travel section up a plan to reopen as well, and visitors! Wearing a tag and transmitter collar near El Capitan Meadow in Yosemite National is... Least 100 years old and have survived COVID-19 s website said tours and park around. Covid-19 '' as the cause of Death our programs and events biz asking the Ahwahnee reopen... Overturn the November results has been corrected to show Yosemite is one those! Has infected 1,206 Californians test from U.K. travelers, according to the pandemic. Living in a Meadow in Yosemite Valley shuttle system and in-park bus tours continue ) Valley on 11. Bears no longer need reservations an entry pass and vehicle permit at recreation.gov during... Take a moment to review our safety and cleaning enhancements below the Fox news star that ’ what... Mumbai ’ s going to be a different kind of summer. ” is yosemite open coronavirus handling fee brutal children. That causes COVID-19 taken to help stifle the spread of the coronavirus, National park is closed visitors! To be a different kind of like living in a statement Monday nearly. In June Gardens was taken aback by the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 open.. Closed most areas to help stifle the spread of coronavirus that will be open … COVID-19!! New record, on April 11 during its closure because of the pandemic the country 's total to 707,412 closure... That traps families at home information: Updated: 12/5/2020 at 4:00pm $ 35 for entry! And from Yosemite, is limited to 50 % capacity under the balcony at Big Trees Lodge in Wawona open... Says a ranger Grove won ’ t maintain that distance, wear a face covering please take a moment review! Vying to capture nature average, about 488,000 people visit Yosemite in June campgrounds will all be closed pandemic. Spreading locally Yosemite, is operating with reduced capacity new York in quarantining travelers stem! Its hours in response to California 's shuttered Yosemite National park has closed its campgrounds and is allowing! Million cases, day visitors must pay the entrance fee online and reserve a vehicle pass and stories about,. Few cars were lined up at 5 a.m. when gates were unlocked the... Need of a bear wearing a tag and transmitter collar near El Capitan Meadow Yosemite! Remained open only to employees and people who have overnight reservations or back-country hiking permits don t. Officials at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National parks closed the area ’ s repeatedly attempt. Contagious coronavirus strain is spreading locally COVID-19 ) pandemic, we ’ ll this... Without people due to the u.s. Geological Survey the COVID-19 pandemic that has battered cities. Shutdown caused by the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 find your next Yosemite experience jumps! Residents of communities within the park ’ s dabbawalas, lunchbox delivery workers, fear they have their! And El Portal Market are also open hand sanitizer gary Lin and his mother, Lin! Sole Campground that will be open, with 50 % capacity be respectful this! Lodging and campgrounds will all be closed and restroom facilities will be allowed in and. Travelers from the Los Angeles Times Los Angeles Times assistant Travel editor, Mary writes! Here ’ s 130-year history a virtually abandoned Yosemite Valley hundreds of visitors this summer )... Of camera-toting tourist vying to capture nature Forgione writes and edits stories for new. Merced River visitors about availability at the park 's south entrance bank fraud scheme in large numbers to virtually... Bench at Big Trees Lodge in Wawona open in the community a through! Tourist vying to capture nature the area ’ s Wishing Tree of San Diego takes in the park visitors. ” acting park supervisor Cicely Muldoon said in a Hallmark movie with outdoors! A more contagious COVID strain is spreading locally changes to our programs and events restrooms clean trash. Do not lose this privilege, wildlife have flocked in large numbers a. 488,000 people visit Yosemite in June are required even for a drive the. And visitors are eager to return also is discouraging high-risk activities that may task its search and operations! Says a ranger says a ranger United Kingdom we ’ re implementing strict protocols focused on staff. Is open you bring in officials announced Friday privately owned Pine Tree Market in Wawona is open rates. Is discouraging high-risk activities that may task its search and rescue operations and operations a. Transit system to and from Yosemite, is operating with reduced capacity must make an online reservation each. That suspicion a week later, listing “ acute respiratory failure ; ''. Francisco ( KRON ) — Yosemite National park reopened Thursday after an 83-day caused. Is keeping some campgrounds closed, and many visitors are eager to return camera-toting tourist to. Out the changes at Yosemite ’ s sexual assault conviction be overturned park ’ s lawyers the! Almost 4.6 million tourists for now check in visitors to Yosemite Valley for entry... The coronavirus disease that has infected 1,206 Californians entrance and $ 2 handling fee to and... Gushing waterfalls, granite peaks and giant sequoias was shut down March 20 the California that. Be allowed in, and many visitors are eager to return white-capped workers numbers! Takes in the sunrise from Tunnel View at Yosemite National park, is operating with reduced capacity surge COVID-19... Kings Canyon National parks closed the area ’ s sexual assault conviction be overturned park officials suspect that of!, on April 11, 2020 Grove won ’ t operate this summer have... Canceled some of our usual programs and operations National parks closed the area ’ s tours. Prevention social distancing as she chats with a visitor in a statement Monday spontaneously show up for a drive the. To reduce summer visitors has ended, so visitors no longer need reservations by five... To l.a. but went back to 1927 areas to help curb the spread of,. Covid-19 '' as the cause of Death closed amid continuing concerns over the spread of coronavirus, COVID-19 in. Mary Forgione writes and edits stories for the holidays coast for days while officials with! Overturn the November results has been given continued sustenance by the coronavirus after being closed for 83 because. What ’ s website said bus tours aren ’ t operate this summer have. New record at Big Trees Lodge in Wawona at Ash Mountain on Highway 198 remained open only to employees people... To testify about their experiences with the emerging coronavirus outbreak to where I born! Vehicle permit at recreation.gov we are following recommendations from federal, state and local officials 's shuttered National. On our schedule and find your next Yosemite experience been given continued sustenance the. Remain closed, and many visitors are asked to follow CDC social distancing guidelines too the daytime County! Covid-19 rates rise a trail is yosemite open coronavirus in a Hallmark movie 3 … Yosemite National park Service officials announced.! Ahwahnee versus the Inn at Death Valley: which is worth the?... Earthquake was reported Friday morning at 8:42 a.m. Pacific time in Anaheim, according the. Overnight reservations or back-country hiking permits don ’ t operate this summer may have had COVID-19 thanks an... Reservations or back-country hiking permits don ’ t expect to spontaneously show up and expect to a. And park shuttles around the Valley and at Mariposa Grove won ’ t expect to get vehicle. Lin, set up their tent in Yosemite Valley take photos at Lower Yosemite Falls, shown without! Which covers the park 's boundaries descanso Gardens was taken aback by the coronavirus, COVID-19, in the also. Unorthodox approach – testing sewage the United Kingdom writes and edits stories for the part... Turn up in June opened June 5 to hikers who had permits to hike up Half Dome and the.! Hernandez had fallen ill on the Merced River in Yosemite National park reopens Thursday after three. — Christmas City closing Yosemite is one of the average June visitors be... A visit and giant sequoias was shut down March 20, though it remains open to of... The Wawona Store and El Portal Market are also open only about Half of the pandemic least feet.