Tioga Pass Still Closed

Above, The Beast on Tioga Pass Road last July. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

A friend, who was on his way home to the San Joaquin Valley in California, mentioned that he was going to drive through Yosemite National Park from Highway 395 on the Tioga Pass Road.

I mentioned to him that Tioga Pass is still closed due to heavy snow. He indicated that he heard the road was open. A lot of other people thought they heard the same.

I checked and confirmed to him that it was still closed.

According to Sierra News Online:

YOSEMITE — There has been a lot of confusion of late over whether or not Tioga Pass is open in Yosemite National Park. 

A call to Caltrans confirms that the east side of the pass, up to the park entrance, is indeed plowed and open to traffic. 

However, an announcement by Caltrans on Monday, June 19, may have been misunderstood and led people to believe that the road into the park is open. 

State Route 120, also known as Tioga Pass, was opened at the winter closure gate — approximately two miles west of US Highway 395 to the east entrance to the park — at 2 p.m. on Monday.

But, and this is the big "but":

However, Tioga Road at the entrance gate to Yosemite National Park remains closed. Park road crews continue to clear snow and make road repairs.

To read more, go here.