Yosemite road advisory

Caltrans closed a section of State Route 140 in Mariposa County at 7 p.m. Monday after warning of unstable slopes, heavy rain, and low temperatures. (dot.ca.gov) The closure runs from Yosemite Bug in Midpines to Yosemite Cedar Lodge in Incline, cutting off a key stretch of the Highway 140 route toward Yosemite National Park. Caltrans said the shutdown is temporary and tied to slope conditions along the corridor. (dot.ca.gov) That advisory followed an April 13 debris-slide closure near Incline, where Caltrans said about 100 cubic yards of material came down onto State Route 140. The agency said slide-removal work prompted that earlier full closure. (dot.ca.gov) Highway 140 is the El Portal Road approach into Yosemite, and the National Park Service lists it as one of the park roads that is normally open all year, though chains can be required in winter. The Park Service also says Highway 140 is one of the western approaches drivers use to reach Yosemite from the San Joaquin Valley. (nps.gov 1) (nps.gov 2) The timing matters for spring travel because Yosemite draws more than four million visits a year, and the Park Service warns that spring and fall bring heavy traffic, long delays, and scarce parking, especially in Yosemite Valley. A closure on the 140 corridor can push more drivers onto Highways 41 and 120 from the west. (nps.gov 1) (nps.gov 2) Travelers looking for an east-west alternative cannot count on Tioga Road yet. Yosemite’s current conditions page says Tioga Road, the Highway 120 route through the park, is still closed for the season due to snow. (nps.gov) The Park Service’s driving directions page says Tioga Road typically opens in late May or early June, depending on conditions, but it does not list a 2026 opening date. That leaves official Yosemite and Caltrans alerts as the main source for changes in access this week. (nps.gov) (dot.ca.gov)