Parks / Yosemite / Arch Rock Entrance

Yosemite · El Portal / Mariposa (Hwy 140)

Yosemite Arch Rock Entrance: this week

Open — Hwy 140 / El Portal Road Week of Nov 9–15, 2026

Arch Rock is the Highway 140 entrance from Merced, Mariposa and El Portal, along the Merced River. NPS puts it about 20–25 minutes from Yosemite Valley.

This week's conditions Risks here now Get GOES before you lose signal

When signal drops, GOES steps in.

Bears in the Valley, slick river rock and a wet, stormy Friday. Get GOES before the canyon so its offline injury assessment and how-to guides are ready without a signal.

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Official conditions

This week at the Arch Rock Entrance

From NPS pages and alerts fetched Nov 12, 2026. Each line links to its source.

OpenEl Portal Road (Hwy 140): open. NPS
Heads-upYosemite Valley roads: open, with 15-minute delays on weekdays 7 am – 7 pm at El Capitan Bridge (stabilization work through December 2026). The Valley Loop Trail crossing at El Capitan Bridge is closed on weekdays. NPS
InfoValley campgrounds: Upper Pines and Camp 4 open (reservation required). Lower Pines and North Pines are closed. NPS
InfoFuel: 24/7 by credit card at El Portal, Wawona and Crane Flat. There's no gas in Yosemite Valley. NPS
ClosedHalf Dome cables are down for the season. NPS

Entrance fee: Private vehicle $35. Non-US residents 16+ pay an additional $100 nonresident fee unless entering with an annual / America the Beautiful pass. NPS fees NPS API

Weather

Forecast near the Arch Rock Entrance

Snapshot from the National Weather Service, fetched Nov 12, 2026. Live forecast loads below if you're online.Full NWS forecast

Period	Temp	Forecast	Wind
Tonight	51°F	Clear	5 to 10 mph
Thursday	66°F	Sunny	5 to 10 mph
Thursday Night	49°F	Partly Cloudy then Chance Light Rain	5 to 10 mph
Friday	50°F	Light Rain then Showers And Thunderstorms	5 to 15 mph
Friday Night	40°F	Showers And Thunderstorms then Light Rain Likely	0 to 20 mph
Saturday	48°F	Slight Chance Light Rain then Mostly Sunny	0 to 5 mph
Saturday Night	39°F	Partly Cloudy	0 to 10 mph
Sunday	51°F	Partly Sunny then Slight Chance Light Rain	0 to 5 mph

Know the risks

What actually matters here in mid-November

The goal is a good trip, not a scary one. These are the hazards NPS highlights for this area and season, and what to do about each.

Merced River banks

The river is low, but NPS warns rocks are slippery even when dry. Stay off wet granite near waterfalls and the river's edge. NPS

In GOESOffline interactive health assessment + 50+ visual how-to guides

Valley bears

Bears are active in all areas, including the Valley. Use food lockers and bear-proof trash cans, and never leave food unattended at picnic spots. NPS NPS

In GOESWildlife Encounters: location-specific risk indicators for bears and other dangerous animals

Rain and thunderstorms Friday

This week's NWS forecast for the Arch Rock area: sunny and about 66°F Thursday, then light rain and showers/thunderstorms Friday into Friday night. NWS

In GOES125+ extreme weather alerts

Before you go in

Checklist for the Arch Rock Entrance

Fuel at El Portal or beforeNo gas in the Valley.
Chains in the trunkChains can become mandatory at any time, even with 4WD.
Follow road signs over GPSNPS: when your GPS and a road sign disagree, the sign is right.
Download GOES before the canyonDon't count on coverage in the Merced canyon and Valley.

Follow official NPS rules, posted closures and ranger instructions. They override anything on this page.

Park-wide

Yosemite risks everywhere in the park

Black bears in all areas

NPS: bears remain active in all areas of the park. Store food properly, use bear-proof dumpsters, and stay at least 50 yards from bears in forest and meadows — but yell at and scare away a bear that approaches you or is in a developed area. Yosemite has an estimated 300–500 black bears and no grizzlies. NPS NPS

In GOESWildlife Encounters: location-specific risk indicators for bears and other dangerous animals

Rivers and slick rock

Waterfalls are flowing low, as usual for November, but NPS still asks visitors to use caution along rivers and creeks: rocks are slippery even when dry. NPS

In GOESOffline interactive health assessment + 50+ visual how-to guides

Winter storm, chains and ice

NWS Hanford issued a Winter Storm Watch (Nov 11, until Nov 17, 4 am PST) for the park's southern area, and the forecast calls for rain and thunderstorms Friday, with snow possible at higher elevations. Carry chains even with 4WD and expect icy spots on mostly dry roads. NWS NPS NWS

In GOESEnvironmental Health: hypothermia and frostbite assessments

Smoke and air quality

The Dome Fire (Sept–Oct) was 86% contained with minimal activity as of NPS's Oct 13 update, and fire closures remain around the Glacier Point Road area. Air quality can still be affected by fires elsewhere or prescribed burns, so check current AQI before strenuous hikes. NPS NPS AirNow

In GOESRespiratory Hazards: smoke, pollution and pollen (AQI) monitoring

NPS alerts

All active Yosemite alerts

Pulled from the NPS Data API on Nov 12, 2026; the same alerts appear on nps.gov/yose.

Park ClosureTioga Road and Glacier Point Road will temporarily close on Nov. 12 at 5 pm. Tioga Road (continuation of Highway 120 through the park) and Glacier Point Road will temporarily close on Thursday, November 12, at 5 pm due to a forecast of snow. Call 209/372-0200 (then 1, 1) to check road conditions in the park.
InformationNo overnight parking on Tioga & Glacier Point Roads. Overnight parking is not allowed on Tioga Road and Glacier Point Road, including all parking lots reachable from these roads.

Your outdoor safety companion

When signal drops, GOES steps in.

Bears in the Valley, slick river rock and a wet, stormy Friday. Get GOES before the canyon so its offline injury assessment and how-to guides are ready without a signal.

Works with no cell service: interactive health assessment and 50+ visual how-to guides, available offline.
Location-specific risks: wildlife (bears, venomous snakes), hypothermia, frostbite, heat illness, altitude, ticks, poisonous plants, UV and smoke/air quality.
200+ prevention tips across 60+ medical topics, also available offline.
Built by wilderness medicine physicians: founded by Dr. Grant Lipman, former Stanford Emergency Medicine professor and director of its wilderness medicine fellowship; Chief Medical Officer Dr. Colin Little, MD, FAWM.

Download on theApp Store Get it onGoogle Play

Free to download. Premium features need a monthly or annual subscription after a 7-day free trial. GOES provides guidance. It is not a substitute for professional medical care. Follow official NPS rules and ranger instructions.

Other Yosemite entrances

Arch Rock EntranceOpen — Hwy 140 / El Portal Road
Big Oak Flat EntranceOpen — weekday delays
South EntranceOpen — Winter Storm Watch
Hetch Hetchy EntranceDaylight only — closes for snow

Yosemite overview, closures and park-wide risks →

Sources

Where this week's information comes from

Fetched Thu Nov 12, 2026 (JST), which is Wed Nov 11 evening in US time zones. We don't publish wait times, bear sightings or conditions we can't source. Check the official pages before you go — they're updated more often than we are.