Wawona Hotel closed for multi-year repairs

Yosemite visitors heading into the summer season are navigating a narrower set of on-site options than in past years. A Yosemite-area travel update says the Wawona Hotel is closed to the public for a multi-year repair project, while the Yosemite Valley Theater was closed on June 1. The same update says Tioga Road and Glacier Point Road are open, Half Dome cables are up for the season, and additional trail and road work is scheduled in coming weeks. ### What exactly is closed right now? The Wawona Hotel is “closed to the public for a multi-year repair project,” according to a Yosemite This Year planning update that was updated May 29 and surfaced in a June 3 travel roundup. The update also says the Yosemite Valley Theater “will be closed today, June 1st.” The closures affect two distinct parts of the visitor experience. (yosemitethisyear.com) Wawona Hotel is a lodging property in the park’s southern area near Wawona and the Mariposa Grove approach, while the Yosemite Valley Theater is part of the programming and visitor-services network in Yosemite Valley. ### Does this change how people get into Yosemite this summer? (yosemitethisyear.com) Yosemite National Park said on Feb. 18 that it will not require vehicle reservations in 2026 after reviewing 2025 traffic and parking patterns. The park said visitors can enter without a timed reservation this year, though traffic management and parking controls remain in place during busy periods. (yosemitethisyear.com) Yosemite Conservancy said in a May 26 planning guide that visitors should still prepare for understaffing and service variability inside the park. The conservancy said some campgrounds, visitor centers, bathrooms and programs may be affected if National Park Service staffing is limited. ### What else is changing inside the park this week? Yosemite National Park’s current conditions page says pavement preservation work will take place this summer on El Portal Road and on primary and secondary roads within Yosemite Valley. (nps.gov) The park says daytime delays of up to 15 minutes are expected Monday through Friday, and nighttime delays of up to 30 minutes are planned on Sentinel Drive and El Portal Road. (yosemite.org) The Yosemite This Year update also says a short section of the Valley Loop Trail near The Ahwahnee is closed because of rockfall risk, with a detour available. It says climbing closures remain in effect on several routes through July 15 to protect peregrine falcons. ### Which facilities are still operating? The National Park Service calendar for June 3 lists the Yosemite Valley Welcome Center, the Wawona Visitor Center at Hill’s Studio and the Big Oak Flat Information Station as open. (nps.gov) The same calendar lists scheduled walks, talks and evening programs in Yosemite Valley and other areas of the park. The Yosemite-area planning update says Housekeeping Camp has reopened for the 2026 season and that the Happy Isles Art & Nature Center has opened for the season. (yosemitethisyear.com) It also says campgrounds in Yosemite Valley are open, while several campgrounds outside the valley remain closed, including Tuolumne Meadows, Crane Flat and White Wolf. (nps.gov) ### What should visitors check before they go? The National Park Service says current road status, planned closures and operating hours are posted on Yosemite’s current conditions and calendar pages. The park’s planning guidance says visitors should expect the heaviest traffic from spring through fall and should aim to arrive before 9 a.m. or after 5 p.m. to reduce delays. (yosemitethisyear.com) The next concrete change already posted for visitors is on the Mist Trail system. The Yosemite This Year update says the Lower Mist Trail from the John Muir Trail junction to the top of Vernal Fall is scheduled to detour to the John Muir Trail from June 30 through Oct. 30, Monday through Thursday, subject to change. (yosemitethisyear.com) (nps.gov)