Yosemite reopens trails, climbing routes and all campgrounds

Yosemite National Park is entering the summer season with more of the park open than it has had in recent weeks. The National Park Service said Tioga Road will reopen to vehicle traffic on Friday, May 15, at 8 a.m., after Glacier Point Road reopened on May 9. Campground pages on the park’s website show reservations are required for campgrounds through the main season, and Yosemite said earlier this year it would not use a timed entrance reservation system in 2026. Park conditions pages also show seasonal trail and climbing restrictions remain in place in some areas. ### Which roads are reopening now? Tioga Road, the Highway 120 route that crosses Yosemite’s high country, will open for the season to all traffic on Friday, May 15, at 8 a.m., according to Yosemite’s road-opening update. The park said limited services will be available along the road, with vault and portable toilets open but no drinking water or other services yet. Glacier Point Road reopened to vehicles on Saturday, May 9, at 8 a.m., Yosemite said in the same update. The park said drinking water was not yet available there, though vault toilets were open. ### Does this mean the whole park is fully open? Yosemite’s current conditions page shows year-round west-side approaches including Wawona Road, El Portal Road, Big Oak Flat Road and Yosemite Valley roads are open, while Tioga Road remained listed as opening May 15. (nps.gov) The same page said Mariposa Grove Road was open, with most visitors using the free shuttle from the Mariposa Grove Welcome Plaza and Parking area. Trail access is broader in mid-May, but not every route is open without restrictions. Yosemite’s conditions page says trails can close because of rockfall, snow, ice or fire, and warns that open trails are not necessarily free of hazards. The park also said rivers and creeks are running high and urged caution on wet, slippery rocks. ### What is the campground situation heading into summer? (nps.gov) Yosemite’s campground page says reservations are required for all campgrounds from about April through October and that reservations are “extremely difficult to get.” The park lists 10 campgrounds that can accommodate RVs and trailers, though hookups are not available. A June 11, 2025, Yosemite news release said all 13 park campgrounds would open in summer 2025 for the first time since 2019, adding about 500 campsites. (nps.gov) Current campground pages for 2026 show at least some site-specific disruptions still exist, including a North Pines closure from May 26 through June 8 for internal road construction. (nps.gov) ### Are all climbing routes open too? Yosemite’s climbing closures page says no. The park said seasonal closures for peregrine falcon and golden eagle protection began March 1, 2026, and run through July 15, 2026, or until further notice. The closure list includes areas of El Capitan’s southwest face, Half Dome’s south face, Higher Cathedral Rock, the Rostrum and several other formations. (nps.gov) The park said other routes in some of those areas remain open, but climbers need to check the closure list before a trip. ### What should visitors expect on peak-season access? Yosemite said on its entrance reservations page that it will not use a timed reservation system in 2026 after reviewing 2025 traffic, parking and visitation data. (home.nps.gov) Superintendent Ray McPadden said the park would keep using real-time traffic monitoring, active parking management, extra staffing at key intersections and expanded visitor information. The park encouraged visitors to plan early, especially for weekends and holidays, consider weekday trips and look beyond Yosemite Valley to areas including Tuolumne Meadows, Wawona and Hetch Hetchy. Tioga Road’s reopening on May 15 will restore vehicle access toward Tuolumne Meadows, though Yosemite said travelers should bring food and water because services along the road remain limited. (nps.gov)