Tioga Pass (Highway 120) to reopen May 15

Yosemite National Park said Tioga Road, the Highway 120 route across the park through Tioga Pass, will reopen to vehicle traffic at 8 a.m. on Friday, May 15. The reopening restores the trans-Sierra connection through Yosemite’s high country after the seasonal winter closure and gives drivers access to Tuolumne Meadows and eastern approaches to the park. Park officials said services along the road will remain limited at opening, with visitors advised to bring food and water. The park also said all front-country campgrounds will be open this summer, with reservations handled through Recreation.gov. ### When exactly does Highway 120 through Tioga Pass open? Yosemite’s road update dated May 13 said Tioga Road will open for the season to all traffic on Friday, May 15, at 8 a.m. The same National Park Service page said the road would be open to bicycles on Thursday, May 14, ahead of the vehicle reopening. The National Park Service’s campground and permits pages also carried the same alert, saying Tioga Road, identified as Highway 120 through the park, will open on May 15 at 8 a.m. (nps.gov) ### What should drivers expect on opening day? The park said limited services will be available along Tioga Road when it opens. Vault and portable toilets will be available, but drinking water will not, and Yosemite said no other services will be available along the road. (nps.gov) Yosemite’s conditions page directs visitors to call 209/372-0200, then press 1 and 1, for the most up-to-date road conditions, saying the online list reflects planned or long-term closures. (nps.gov) The park’s summer visitor guidance also says services along Tioga Road often open later than the road itself. ### Why does this reopening matter inside Yosemite? (nps.gov) Tioga Road is Yosemite’s seasonal east-west route across the park and is typically open from late May or June until sometime in November, according to the park’s plowing update. The road gives access to Yosemite’s high country, including Tuolumne Meadows, trailheads and the Tioga Pass entrance on the park’s eastern side. (nps.gov) The Tioga Pass entrance sits at 9,945 feet above sea level, according to the National Park Service. Yosemite says plowing on Tioga Road typically begins around April 15 and crews must clear avalanche zones, snow, downed trees and rockfall before the route can reopen. ### What is Yosemite saying about camping this summer? Yosemite’s campground page says reservations are required for campgrounds from approximately April through October and that reservations are difficult to get. (nps.gov) The page also says first-come, first-served camping is not available from late May through October. A National Park Service release published May 13 and mirrored by other outlets said all Yosemite front-country campgrounds will be open this summer and available for reservation through Recreation.gov. (nps.gov) The same release said most High Sierra Camps are returning to operation. ### Do visitors need an entrance reservation in 2026? (nps.gov) Yosemite’s permits and reservations page says an entrance reservation is not required to enter the park in 2026. A separate park notice said Yosemite dropped its timed reservation system for 2026 after reviewing traffic, parking and visitor-use patterns from the 2025 season. (article.wn.com) The park said lodging and campground reservations are still required for overnight stays when applicable, and campground bookings are available through Recreation.gov. Tioga Road’s reopening on Friday, May 15, at 8 a.m. is the next scheduled access change visitors can plan around, according to Yosemite’s road alerts. (nps.gov 1) (nps.gov 2)