Yosemite National Park announces reopening date after closing due to wildfire smoke
Yosemite National Park will reopen to the public at 9 a.m. Friday after closing due to wildfire smoke, park officials announced Wednesday.
The popular park in California is located just north of the massive Creek Fire.
Kings Canyon National Park to the south reopened Wednesday. Sequoia National Park remained closed. It shares a border with Kings and is closer to the SQF Complex fire.
Some visitor services in Yosemite are scheduled to open incrementally over the weekend.
Park spokespeople said the park closed Sept. 17 due to wildfire smoke and hazardous air quality throughout Yosemite. The fire has not crossed into the park’s southern boundary, officials said. Two smaller wildfires, the Bluejay and Wolf fires, continue to burn in the park’s backcountry.
Air quality in Yosemite Village was still listed as unhealthy early Wednesday afternoon, with the same projection for Thursday.
Campsites in Yosemite Valley will also be available for incoming campers beginning Friday.
Day-use reservations are still required to enter the park at this time, what were implemented earlier this year due to COVID-19.
Yosemite officials said they continue to monitor conditions and the park could still “close intermittently due to changes in air quality and smoke impacts.”
Road and weather conditions for Yosemite are also available by calling 209-372-0200 and pressing 1, and information is also posted on its website and Facebook page.
This story was originally published September 23, 2020 at 1:29 PM with the headline "Yosemite National Park announces reopening date after closing due to wildfire smoke."
