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.

Government shutdown update: Yosemite Valley closure

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.

This post was written by Erik Lyon, 2013 Project Specialist.

As the government shutdown closes Yosemite National Park, visitors want to know what this means for their fall vacations. Here is the latest:

Yosemite Valley is closed past the El Capitan Crossing. At El Capitan Drive motorists will be turned away. However, this means Highway 120, 140, and 41 are all accessible and connected by the valley.

Yosemite Valley. Photo courtesy of Around the Globe blog.

Reservations for private hotels will be honored through Thursday at 11:00am. Most Yosemite Valley hotels are operated by the Delaware North Company. Visitors with reservations to these hotels will be able to enter the valley and stay until Thursday, October 3. However, there will be no recreation or services available.

Highway 120 through Yosemite will remain open, but Yosemite Park is closed. Although the road is open, it should be treated like any other highway. Stopping is not allowed except in the case of an emergency, and no services in the park are open.

Mono Lake and Bodie will remain open and accessible. If you aren’t able to make it to Yosemite, visit Mono Lake and Bodie instead! As California State Parks, Mono Lake and Bodie will remain unaffected by the government shutdown. One potential exception is the South Tufa area, which may be unstaffed. Remember to pay your entrance fee in the collection container!