Yosemite’s Rim fire: Can you get into all park entrances now?
The California 120 entrance to Yosemite National Park that was shut by the Rim fire will reopen at noon Friday, though firefighting activities in the national park continue. The reopened road means travelers will be able to enter the park and drive to Yosemite Valley along Big Oak Flat Road from Groveland, Calif.
“Visitors will have full access to Yosemite Valley via [California] 120,” a park statement issued Friday says. “However, due to continued fire activity in the area stopping along the roadway is strictly prohibited. The public is advised to use extreme caution as firefighting activities continue in this area.”
The other western park entrance from Highway 140 and the eastern entrance from Lee Vining never closed during the fire. But the bigger closure of California 120 that bars east-west access across the park remains shut. The section from Crane Flat to White Wolf closed before Labor Day and remains closed.
Visitors in the western part of the park who want to go to Tuolumne Meadows and the back country would have to enter from Highway 395 on the eastern side.
Road closures in the Stanislaus National Forest where the Rim fire continues to burn remain in effect. Check the forest’s website for updates or follow them on Twitter at @sierra_nf. Yosemite National Park’s website and the California Department of Transportation website will have updated information on road closures.
The Rim fire has burned more than 246,000 acres, making it the third-largest fire in the state’s history. It began on Aug. 17 and was started when a hunter let his illegal campfire get out of control, officials have said.
Mary.Forgione@latimes.com
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