Yosemite National Park hopes to reopen in early June and limit the number of visitors by half to allow for social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic. Lodgings and some campgrounds would reopen, and day visitors would be required to buy entry tickets in advance of their trips, according to a draft reopening plan presented Tuesday.
The plan weighs how to protect health of the public and Yosemite workers, sustain access to the popular park and help reopen the local economy. It has not yet received federal approval or permission from Gov. Gavin Newsom to enter Phase 3 of the state’s reopening plan.
“We’re hopeful we can get the park open in a smart enough way that we can keep the park open and not have to go through a seesaw of opening and closing,” Acting Superintendent Cicely Muldoun said during an online presentation to the Yosemite Gateway Partners, a regional group that includes government agencies, nonprofit organizations, Native American tribes, individuals and businesses.
Noting that the majority of visitors come to Yosemite Valley, officials emphasized the need for “flexibility” to close or modify rules at areas that could become overcrowded, such as Tunnel View, Bridal Veil Fall, Lower Yosemite Fall, Yosemite Village, Curry Village, Glacier Point, Wawona, Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias and park entrances.
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