Sierra Summer Planning

If you want a Sierra pack trip, horse ride or short backcountry outing this summer, outfitters and local tourism officials are telling people to book now while many high-country roads are still closed. (mantecabulletin.com) The reason is simple: much of the Sierra’s best scenery still sits behind snow gates in April. Yosemite National Park says Tioga Road and Glacier Point Road are closed for the season due to snow, and Tioga Road usually does not reopen until late May or June. (nps.gov) Tuolumne County’s visitor bureau said on April 9 that Tioga Pass was still closed and was scheduled to reopen by Memorial Day weekend 2026, while Sonora Pass on Highway 108 was open only to Kennedy Meadows. That leaves many higher-elevation trailheads harder to reach by car right now. (visittuolumne.com) That access gap shapes how people plan Sierra trips in spring. A lake or meadow that feels like a quick summer outing can still mean a long approach hike and steep elevation gain before the main scenery starts. (mantecabulletin.com) Pack stations fill that gap by using horses or mules to move people or gear into the backcountry. Inyo National Forest says it has 13 permitted pack stations offering horseback rides and resupply services, and it tells visitors to make sure any outfitter they hire holds a current Forest Service permit. (fs.usda.gov) For travelers who want a multi-day trip without carrying a full backpack, some operators are already selling that service for 2026. Cottonwood Pack Station says its guided trips use commercial wilderness-permit quotas and let guests carry only a day pack, while camp and meals are handled by the outfitter. (cottonwoodpackstation.com) Other businesses are pitching lighter-weight options as well. Red’s Meadow Resort and Pack Station says 2026 online reservations are open now for horseback rides and backpacker pack trips, including a July-through-September gear-haul option for up to 150 pounds at $650 one way plus a wilderness permit. (redsmeadow.com) The timing also lines up with a drier-than-average start to the runoff season in Yosemite’s watersheds. The park said April 1 snowpack measured 22% of average in the Tuolumne River basin and 27% in the Merced River basin, even as major high-country roads remained snow-closed. (nps.gov) So the spring message from the Sierra is not that summer is here already. It is that the reservation calendar is open before the roads are, and people who want stock-supported access to the high country are being told to get on the books early. (mantecabulletin.com)