Parks: roads reopening now
Highway 140 toward Yosemite reopened this afternoon after rockslides closed the stretch between Bear Creek Bridge and Cedar Lodge, restoring a key access route for spring visits (mymotherlode.com). Grand Teton’s main road is scheduled to open May 1 and Gros Ventre Campground is among the early facilities returning for the season, while Acadia’s Park Loop Road largely reopens today with one section closed through June 12 except over Memorial Day weekend (buckrail.com) (unofficialnetworks.com).
A road shut by spring rockslides near Yosemite is back open, while Grand Teton and Acadia are reopening marquee drives and campgrounds on staggered spring schedules. (mymotherlode.com) (nps.gov) (buckrail.com) In California, State Route 140 reopened to one-way controlled traffic after multiple rockslides closed the stretch between Bear Creek Bridge and Cedar Lodge on April 12. Caltrans listed the reopened section as 2.5 to 4.5 miles west of Incline in Mariposa County on its latest road report. (mymotherlode.com) (dot.ca.gov) That matters for Yosemite because El Portal Road, the park continuation of Highway 140 from Merced, is one of the main western approaches into Yosemite Valley. The National Park Service current conditions page lists that route as open inside the park. (nps.gov) (mymotherlode.com) In Wyoming, Grand Teton National Park is moving into its summer opening calendar, with Teton Park Road scheduled to open to vehicles on Friday, May 1. Gros Ventre Campground is set to open April 27, and more lodges, campgrounds, marinas, and visitor services follow through May and early June. (buckrail.com) (nps.gov) The park has already opened a 14-mile section of Teton Park Road for walking, biking, running, and skating between Taggart Lake Trailhead and Signal Mountain Lodge. That spring window lets crews clear snow before private vehicles return. (article.wn.com) (nps.gov) In Maine, Acadia National Park reopened most of its 27-mile Park Loop Road to motor vehicles on April 15. One section between Kebo Street and Sieur de Monts will stay closed to all uses through June 12, except during Memorial Day weekend. (nps.gov) (newsbreak.com) The closure is tied to two projects: replacing an undersized culvert to help restore Great Meadow and connecting new park housing to the town wastewater system. Acadia officials also said the Thompson Island Picnic Area reopened April 15. (nps.gov) (wdea.am) These reopenings land as parks shift from winter access rules to spring traffic management, campground reservations, and construction detours. Yosemite still lists several higher-elevation campgrounds closed, and Grand Teton concessioners are warning visitors to check 2026 road and trail improvement notices before traveling. (nps.gov) (gtlc.com) For travelers, the headline is simple: the roads are coming back, but not all at once. April 15 opens more pavement in California and Maine, and May 1 is the next big date in Wyoming. (dot.ca.gov) (nps.gov) (buckrail.com)
