Yosemite reopens from ‘sunrise to sunset’ with limited access

Many roads and areas of the park remained closed, however, including Big Oak Flat and Wawona Road. 

“While several miles of paved pedestrian paths in Yosemite Valley are plowed, all hiking trails are covered in snow,” park officials said. “Hiking on snow-covered trails is not recommended.”

Overnight visiting could resume Monday if weather conditions improve, officials said. 

Rangers shuttered Yosemite in late February after roads and trails were carpeted in as many as 15 feet of snow, breaking previous snowfall records set in 1969. The bounty clogged roads and submerged park buildings, trapping rangers in their homes. 

The park’s famous waterfalls froze as storms dropped layer after layer of fresh powder on Yosemite Valley. Thick snow covered tree branches and trails, rendering much of the park inaccessible to even the most intrepid hikers. 

The valley has been pummeled by winter storms this year, with heavy snowfall followed by 21 inches of rain that set off at least 22 rockslides, which the park said had been mostly cleaned up.

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