Glacier Point Road Project - 2022 and 2023

 

Glacier Point Road will be closed to all traffic in 2022 to rehabilitate and improve the road. The only access to Glacier Point will be via the Four Mile, Panorama, and Pohono Trails, all of which are strenuous hikes. There will be 30-minute delays in 2023.

The existing road was completed in 1936, replacing the original wagon road built in 1882. This area attracts high volumes of traffic year-round because it provides access to Bridalveil Creek Campground, Glacier Point, Badger Pass Ski Area, and numerous trailheads.

There will be no facilities or services available at Glacier Point (including water or restrooms) if you choose to hike to Glacier Point. Please plan accordingly and follow the principles of Leave No Trace.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the entire Glacier Point Road be closed?

Yes. Construction began in April 2022 and will last until it snows in fall 2022. Thirty-minute delays are possible spring through fall of 2023. The portion of the road to Badger Pass will be open in winter 2022–2023 when the ski area is open (typically, mid-December through March).

How can I get to Glacier Point, Sentinel Dome, and Taft Point when the road is closed?

There is no vehicle or bus access to or near Glacier Point, Sentinel Dome, or Taft Point.

The quickest way to get to these areas by the following strenuous hikes:

• Glacier Point: The Four Mile Trail is about nine miles round-trip with 3,200 feet of elevation gain.
• Sentinel Dome: From Glacier Point, the hike is about three miles round trip with about 1,000 feet of elevation gain. This is in addition to hiking to Glacier Point, for a total of about 12 miles and over 4,000 feet of elevation gain.
• Taft Point: From Sentinel Dome, the hike is about two miles round trip with about a thousand feet of elevation gain. This is in addition to hiking to Glacier Point and Sentinel Dome, for a total of about 14 miles and about 5,000 feet of elevation gain.

There will be no facilities or services available at Glacier Point (including water or restrooms) if you choose to hike to Glacier Point. Please plan accordingly and follow the principles of Leave No Trace.

Can I camp at or near Glacier Point during construction?

No, Camping is prohibited at Glacier Point (and anywhere else within four trail miles of Glacier Point).

Can I hike on the road during construction?

The Four Mile Trail, Pohono Trail, and Panorama Trail will remain open both years, though hikers must stay outside of work zones. Trailheads along the Glacier Point Road will be closed in 2022 and hikers must access trails from connecting trails and trailheads outside the Glacier Point Road corridor. All trails in the southern section of the park will remain open.

Can I bike along the road during construction?

Biking will not be allowed on the Glacier Point Road during construction to protect the safety of bicylists and workers.

How will the road closure affect programming at Glacier Point?

There will be no Glacier Point interpretive programs or other special programs such as the symphony and Starry Sky Programs in 2022. All programs will resume in 2023.

What work will take place with this project?

In addition to pulverizing and paving the entire road from Badger Pass to Glacier Point, intensive road repair would take place in the following key areas:

• Repair curves on the road leading down to Glacier Point. This road segment contains steep and narrow hairpin curves that drop 600 feet in elevation in about 1.6 miles. Currently large vehicles cross the double-yellow centerline to navigate the curves.
• Address safety hazards at the scenic overlook viewing the Clark Range by improving the pullout.
• Repair road areas west of Summit Meadow to prevent the continued settlement of the roadway.
• Pave the overflow parking area at the Sentinel Dome trailhead. Current off pavement parking is damaging fragile resources in this high-elevation habitat. This parking area will continue to accommodate the same number of vehicles. Additionally, new accessible vault toilets will be installed at the parking area.
• Formalize the McGurk Meadow Trailhead parking area to increase safety.
• Repave the Glacier Point parking area. Additionally, two new concrete staircases will be built to connect the upper and lower parking areas and one additional oversize vehicle space will be created.

Why does the road need to be closed?

If the road is not closed completely the first year, it could take an extra year to complete the project, with significant extra cost. Keeping the road open would also jeopardize visitor and worker safety, as the public would traverse narrow roads with steep drop-offs and other hazards. Contractors would complete the large safety repairs the first year, some of which require five-foot deep excavations across the road for thousands of linear feet. The park carefully considered other alternatives to avoid a complete closure the first year.