Yosemite National Park
And Tioga Pass

Just 13 miles away and 3,500 feet higher at Tioga Pass lies Yosemite National Park. If you are planning to visit the park on your visit to Mono Lake, here are some useful links:

YOSEMITE RESERVATIONS
For Yosemite campgrounds and tours. Most campsites in Yosemite National Park are on a reservation system. The National Park Reservations Service for Yosemite is currently taking campsite reservations five months in advance. The toll-free reservation number is 800-436-7275 or click on the Yosemite Reservations link.

Family reservations sites in Yosemite Valley include Upper Pines, Lower Pines and North Pines Campgrounds. Other family reservation sites in the park include Wawona, Crane Flat, Hodgdon Meadows, and Tuolumne Meadows. All of these sites are $20.00 per night (All prices as of Sept. 2008).

Group sites including Wawona, Bridalveil Creek, Hodgdon Meadows, Tuolumne Meadows and Hetch Hetchy Campgrounds are $40.00 per night. Stock sites at Wawona, Bridalveil Creek, Tuolumne Meadows, and Hetch Hetchy Campgrounds are $25.00 per night. Backpackers camps in Yosemite Valley, Tuolumne Meadows and Hetch Hetchy as well as Camp 4 in Yosemite Valley are $5.00 per night.

First-come, first-served sites at Bridalveil Creek and White Wolf Campgrounds are $14.00 per night. First-come, first-served sites at Tamarack Flat, Yosemite Creek, and Porcupine Flat Campgrounds are $10.00 per night.

YOSEMITE WILDERNESS
For your leave-no-trace visit to Yosemite's wild backcountry. Wilderness permits are required for overnight travel. Each trailhead has a quota. Reservations for a $5 fee can be made from 24 weeks to 2 days before the start of your trip. 40% of the permits are available in person beginning the day prior to your hike.

TIOGA PASS OPENING AND CLOSING
Historic Dates |Plowing Update
Click here for historic opening dates since 1933 and the National Park's plowing update. Typically Tioga Pass Road is closed from November to May due to snow, however each year is different. Even in summer you should check road conditions within California before your trip at 1-800-GAS-ROAD. All roads are subject to closure during storms. Click here to check road conditions within the park.

When Tioga Pass (Hwy 120), Sonora Pass (Hwy 108), Monitor Pass (Hwy 89), and Ebbets Pass (Hwy 4) are closed for the winter, the shortest way to Yosemite Valley from Lee Vining is over Carson Pass (Hwy 88) through Minden, NV, and Jackson, CA (via Hwy 395 and Hwy 49), which is about 300 miles and at least 6 hours of driving. Normally when the pass is open it is about 80 miles and two hours of driving between Lee Vining and Yosemite Valley.