Parks / Yosemite

CA · Week of Nov 9–15, 2026

Yosemite National Park this week

Snow on the way: Tioga and Glacier Point roads close Nov 12 at 5 pm.

Yosemite is open 24 hours a day, but the high country is shutting down. NPS announced that Tioga Road (Hwy 120 through the park) and Glacier Point Road temporarily close Thursday, Nov 12 at 5 pm because snow is forecast. Wawona Road (Hwy 41), El Portal Road (Hwy 140) and Big Oak Flat Road (Hwy 120 west) are open. Carry tire chains: they can become mandatory at any time, even for 4WD. NPS alert NPS

Open entrances Closed this week Get GOES before you lose signal

When signal drops, GOES steps in.

Black bears active in every part of the park, slick granite by the rivers, and a winter storm on the way. GOES works offline, so its assessment and how-to guides still help if a fall or a cold soaking happens out of signal.

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Entrances open this week

Pick your entrance

El Portal / Mariposa (Hwy 140)

Arch Rock Entrance

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.

Open — Hwy 140 / El Portal Road

This week at Arch Rock Entrance →

Groveland (Hwy 120 west)

Big Oak Flat Entrance

Big Oak Flat is the Highway 120 entrance from the Bay Area via Groveland, next to Hodgdon Meadow. With Tioga Road closing, Hwy 120 inside the park now leads only toward Crane Flat and Yosemite Valley (about 45 minutes away).

Open — weekday delays

This week at Big Oak Flat Entrance →

Fish Camp / Oakhurst (Hwy 41)

South Entrance

The South Entrance on Highway 41 from Fresno, Oakhurst and Fish Camp leads to the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, Wawona, and then Yosemite Valley, a little over an hour north.

Open — Winter Storm Watch

This week at South Entrance →

Evergreen Road (off Hwy 120)

Hetch Hetchy Entrance

Hetch Hetchy is Yosemite's quiet northwest corner, a reservoir valley at about 3,900 feet reached on Evergreen and Hetch Hetchy roads off Hwy 120. NPS puts it about 1.5 hours from Yosemite Valley.

Daylight only — closes for snow

This week at Hetch Hetchy Entrance →

Seasonal closures

Closed or limited this week

Closed / limitedTioga Pass Entrance (Hwy 120 east, from Lee Vining). Tioga Road temporarily closes Thu Nov 12 at 5 pm for forecast snow, and no overnight parking is allowed on it. NPS says the Tioga Pass Entrance is closed from approximately November through late May or June, so there's no entrance page for it this week. NPS alert NPS NPS API
Closed / limitedGlacier Point Road. Temporarily closes Thu Nov 12 at 5 pm for forecast snow. Part of the Glacier Point Road area remains under a Dome Fire safety closure. NPS alert 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

Know the risks

What matters in Yosemite right now

Teach, don't scare: these are the hazards NPS emphasizes this season, with what to do.

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

Active Yosemite alerts

From the NPS Data API, fetched Nov 12, 2026. Live version: nps.gov/yose conditions.

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.

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

Your outdoor safety companion

When signal drops, GOES steps in.

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.

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.