P.O. Box 577
Yosemite, CA 95389
www.nps.gov/yose/news

Month xx, 2006
For Immediate Release

Tioga Road to Open Saturday, June 17, Highways 120 and 41 Remain Open and Accessible
Three of the four roads into the park to be open

Yosemite National Park Superintendent Mike Tollefson announced today that the Tioga Road (Highway 120 East through Yosemite National Park) will open for the season on June 17, 2006 at 8 a.m.

Services along the Tioga Road and in Tuolumne Meadows will be limited. Vault toilets will be available at Tenaya Lake, Lembert Dome, and some trailheads. The Tuolumne Meadows Store, Gas Station, and the Tuolumne Lodge are expected to open in early July. All campgrounds along the Tioga Road corridor (including White Wolf, Tamarack Flat, Yosemite Creek, Porcupine Flat and Tuolumne Meadows) will remain closed until further notice.

Highway 120 (West) and Highway 41 (South) remain open 24 hours per day, seven days a week with additional staff on hand to assist visitors upon entering the park . Popular park destinations such as Wawona, Glacier Point, Yosemite Valley, Crane Flat, and Tuolumne Meadows can all be accessed via Highways 120 and 41.

Every spring, visitors wait in anticipation for Tioga Road to open, and with good reason. Yosemite’s High Sierra is exceptionally beautiful and unique at this time. Witnessing the remaining winter snow pack upon the domes and mountain peaks that rise amidst Tuolumne’s open meadows is a perspective far different from that of any other season.

Highway 140 is open from Yosemite National Park to El Portal. Highway 140 remains closed about 10 miles west of El Portal due to rock slide. Businesses and accommodations in El Portal and Mariposa are all open.

The summer season has arrived and with it comes an assortment of blooming wildflowers, flourishing foliage and magnificent waterfalls which makes for scenery that is sure to attract visitors who are seeking the ultimate Yosemite experience.

Current road and weather conditions and additional information are available 24 hours a day by calling 209/372-0200 or can be accessed online at www.nps.gov/yose.

-NPS-