Sunrise light on a grove of tufa towers emerging from the water of Mono Lake with soft green and dusty-red wild grasses in the foreground, Canada geese in the shallow water with reflections of the rocky towers, and desert hills in the distance.

Tioga Pass reopens in time for Columbus Day weekend visitors

Sunrise light on a grove of tufa towers emerging from the water of Mono Lake with soft green and dusty-red wild grasses in the foreground, Canada geese in the shallow water with reflections of the rocky towers, and desert hills in the distance.

Tioga Pass (Highway 120) reopened this morning (as of 10:30 am) on our first sunny morning of the week. Columbus Day weekend visitors will be happy to know that the drive from Yosemite to the Mono Basin does not require the longer wintertime route to the north over Carson Pass (Highway 88).

The peak fall colors are mostly at high elevations (above 8,000 feet) in the areas where snow fell, but without a lot of wind this week most trees still have leaves and plenty of color is visible against the white backdrop. Areas below 8,000 feet have a lot of green trees still and should be getting a lot more color during the next two weeks.

Monitor Pass (Highway 89) is still closed due to snow, and Sonora Pass (Highway 108) is still closed due to “inclement weather,” despite the gorgeous sunny day today. Reports of rockslides on Sonora Pass on Sunday and Monday may indicate a bit more complicated closure than just for snow. Click here for updates.

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