Yosemite to reopen Tioga Pass (Highway 120) May 15, park says

Yosemite National Park said Tioga Road will reopen to all traffic at 8 a.m. on Friday, May 15, restoring the Highway 120 route across the park’s high country ahead of the summer season. The National Park Service posted the update on May 13 on its Tioga and Glacier Point roads status page. (nps.gov) The road had been closed for the season because of snow, and the park said only limited services will be available when it reopens. Yosemite officials also have reopened Glacier Point Road and are directing visitors to check current conditions before traveling. (uniondemocrat.com) ### When exactly does the road reopen, and to whom? Friday, May 15, is the date Yosemite gave for reopening Tioga Road to “all traffic,” with access beginning at 8 a.m., according to the park’s official road update page. (nps.gov) The route is the continuation of Highway 120 through Yosemite and links Crane Flat with Tioga Pass on the park’s eastern side. Thursday, May 14, is the one-day window the park set aside for bicycles before cars return. Yosemite said cyclists should watch for administrative vehicle traffic. ### What is reopening — and why do visitors care? (nps.gov) Tioga Pass sits at 9,945 feet, according to local reporting cited from the park announcement, making it the highest paved route across the Sierra Nevada. The road gives seasonal access to Yosemite’s high country, including Tuolumne Meadows and trailheads and viewpoints along the corridor. Tioga Road typically opens in late May or June and remains accessible until sometime in November, Yosemite says, though the exact timing depends on plowing progress, avalanche zones, rockfall, downed trees and any repairs needed after winter. (nps.gov) The park said plowing normally begins around April 15. ### What services will still be missing on opening day? Limited services will be available along Tioga Road when it reopens, Yosemite said. The park told visitors to bring their own food and water. Vault and portable toilets will be available, but drinking water will not, according to the National Park Service update. (uniondemocrat.com) Yosemite said no other services will be available along the road at reopening. ### What else is changing for Yosemite’s summer access? Glacier Point Road reopened to vehicles on Saturday, May 9, at 8 a.m., Yosemite said in the same status update. (nps.gov) The park said drinking water is not yet available there, though vault toilets are open. February 18 brought another change to Yosemite’s summer planning: the park said it will not require a timed vehicle reservation system in 2026. (nps.gov) Superintendent Ray McPadden said Yosemite would instead rely on traffic monitoring, parking management, additional staffing at key intersections and updated visitor information tools. ### Will visitors need reservations or special planning this weekend? Yosemite said no entrance reservation is required to enter the park in 2026. The park has urged travelers to check real-time conditions, seasonal updates and trip-planning tools before arriving, especially during busy weekends and holiday periods. (nps.gov) Reservations are still required for campgrounds from about April through October, according to the park’s camping page, and Yosemite says those sites are usually full from around April through September. The park recommends booking as early as possible. (nps.gov) ### Where should travelers look before they leave? Yosemite’s current conditions, road alerts and reservation pages are the park’s main sources for same-day updates, including whether Tioga Road has opened as scheduled and what services are available. The park’s road-status page says Tioga Road opens at 8 a.m. on Friday, May 15, and Yosemite’s travel pages direct visitors to check conditions again before departure. (nps.gov 1) (nps.gov 2) (nps.gov 3)