Is the Hetch Hetchy entrance open?
While Yosemite National Park is open 24 hours per day, 365 days per year, Hetch Hetchy is only open limited hours (8 am – 5 pm), and winter weather conditions may cause road closures.
Is Hetch Hetchy Road paved?
Hetch Hetchy Road takes the Yosemite visitor along a paved road into a less-traveled section of the park, giving you access to a sparkling reservoir and numerous hiking trails.
Does Hetch Hetchy have snow?
In early spring, even as much of the Sierra Nevada remains blanketed in snow, the Hetch Hetchy area of Yosemite National Park is often snow-free, making it an attractive spot for early-season hiking and backpacking.
Can I drive through Yosemite right now?
Park Closures
A reservation is required to drive into or through Yosemite National Park from 6 am to 4 pm daily. If you are planning to arrive after 4 pm, please do not arrive at a park entrance station until after 4 pm. Vehicles blocking roads will be cited.
How full is Hetch Hetchy Reservoir now?
Hetch Hetchy is the only reservoir above its average storage of 63%, and is 82% full.
Do you need a reservation to get into Hetch Hetchy?
Amenities: No reservation is required to go into the Hetch Hetchy area of Yosemite National Park. Arrive early; parking is limited!
How do you drive to Hetch Hetchy?
To reach Hetch Hetchy, you have to exit Yosemite National Park and re-enter it. Take CA Highway 120 from the park toward Groveland. From the main road, it’s about a 20- to 25-minute drive to the parking area. The half-hour drive to Hetch Hetchy from CA Highway 120 begins outside the park boundaries.
Is it worth going to Hetch Hetchy?
Hidden in Yosemite National Park’s peaceful northwest corner, Hetch Hetchy Valley is a treasure worth visiting in all seasons. Located at 3,900 feet, Hetch Hetchy boasts one of the longest hiking seasons in the park and is an ideal place for thundering spring waterfalls and wildflower displays.
Can I drive through Yosemite without a reservation?
A reservation is required to drive into or through Yosemite during peak hours. A reservation is required to drive into or through Yosemite National Park from 6 am to 4 pm daily. If you are planning to arrive after 4 pm, please do not arrive at a park entrance station until after 4 pm.
Can you still drive into Yosemite Valley?
You can drive your car into and around Yosemite, although some roads are closed from around November through May/June and tire chains may be required on open roads from around October through April (depending on conditions).
Are California reservoirs filling up?
Among the largest reservoirs in California, Folsom Lake and Lake Oroville have seen the largest increase statewide to date this rainy season. Folsom Lake, a critical water supply to the Sacramento region was recently among the most depleted reservoirs.
Is Hetch Hetchy low on water?
Due to its high-altitude location at 3,900 feet above sea level and its snowmelt-fed water supply, water from Hetch Hetchy Reservoir behind O’Shaughnessy Dam does not require filtration. The water is delivered by a gravity-based system and aqueduct to the Bay Area.
Can I sleep in my car in Yosemite?
Within Yosemite National Park, you may not sleep in your car or RV except in a campsite that you’re registered to stay in (except at Camp 4, where sleeping in cars is not allowed because it’s a walk-in campground). Sleeping in your car along the side of the road is not allowed.
Can you drive into Yosemite before 6am?
Reservations are only required for peak-use times between 6 am and 4 pm each day. If you enter the park before 6 am, you can stay for the day. Note that there is no camping in the park outside of designated campgrounds.
What is the easiest drive into Yosemite?
Highway 120 will be the best way to approach Yosemite if you are coming from the big cities of San Francisco or Sacramento and their major airports. This scenic route skirts around the Northern edge of Mariposa County and passes through the lovely towns of Buck Meadows and Groveland.
Can I drive through Yosemite without reservation?
How long before CA runs out of water?
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is now predicting that California only has enough water supply to last one year. Jay Famiglietti – a water scientist at NASA – broke the news in an op-ed piece released by the LA Times this month.
How full is Hetch Hetchy reservoir now?
How full is Hetch Hetchy now?
Currently, the reservoir is holding 93 billion gallons and continues to rise. The outlook calls for water storage to grow to 117 billion gallons, which is full capacity.
How full is the Hetch Hetchy?
Are there bears in Yosemite?
American black bears found in Yosemite National Park have long been of intense interest to park visitors and managers. Seeing one of the approximately 300 to 500 black bears in Yosemite can evoke excitement, awe, and fear. If visitors spot a bear while in the park, it is a black bear-not a brown or grizzly bear.
Can you stealth camp in Yosemite?
There are legal places in Yosemite where you can sleep in your car, so don’t try to stealth camp elsewhere.
Can I drive through Yosemite without paying?
No. The $35-per-car entrance fee is valid for three consecutive days for visiting Hetch Hetchy and driving into the park only during non-peak hours. Paying the entrance fee does not allow entry during peak hours (6 am to 4 pm) if you don’t have a valid reservation.
What is the safest route to Yosemite?
Is 120 or 140 better for Yosemite?
Highway 140—as opposed to the most direct route, 120—is by far the most scenic drive into the park and the best way to go if you’re visiting for the first time. It’s open most of the time and passes through the towns of Mariposa and Fish Camp.