California’s 9,945′ Tioga Pass Opens for 2026 — and It’s the Earliest Opening Since 2015 Tioga Pass opens for 2026 at 8 a.m. Friday, May 15, marking the earliest start to the season at Yosemite National Park’s eastern gateway in 11 years and completing the full slate of High Sierra passes for the summer season. The pass, which carries Highway 120 through the park at 9,945 feet above sea level, is the highest paved route […] National Parks SnowBrains | May 18, 2026 0 Comments
[VIDEO] Repairs and Snow Removal Ongoing on 9,945′ Tioga Pass (SR-120) Caltrans maintenance crews based in Lee Vining are steadily clearing snow from State Route 120 West, Tioga Pass, the crucial corridor leading to Yosemite’s eastern entrance. The annual operation began in earnest after a series of late-winter storms and has already cleared significant portions of the highway. However, challenges remain as the team pushes westward toward the park boundary. Related: […] SnowBrains | April 22, 2025 0 Comments
Caltrans Announces Winter Closure of Tioga Pass in Yosemite National Park, CA In a sure sign that winter has arrived in the Sierra Nevada, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has announced the seasonal closure of State Route 120 West, also known as Tioga Pass. The closure affects the stretch from U.S. Highway 395 to Yosemite National Park’s eastern gate and Tioga Road through the park itself. This marks the official transition […] Industry News SnowBrains | November 25, 2024 0 Comments
9,945′ Tioga Pass (SR 120), CA, Opens for the Summer on Monday, June 10 Effective Monday, June 10, all roads leading to Mono County will be open to road warriors seeking escape in the beautiful Eastern Sierra. Tioga Pass will officially open on June 10 at 7 am, marking the full opening of the three high-elevation gateway passes that close each winter season and providing access to the pure natural wonder of California’s Eastern […] SnowBrains | June 9, 2024 0 Comments
State Snow Maintenance Crews Begin Clearing Tioga Pass, CA Caltrans maintenance crews have been busy clearing Tioga Pass in California since April 15. Caltrans shared a video showing the progress along Highway 120 W on Instagram and Twitter (X). The video shared by Caltrans District 9 shows its maintenance crews utilizing a grader and a bulldozer to push the snow into manageable piles for the blower to remove it […] Industry News SnowBrains | April 17, 2024 0 Comments
Tioga Pass, CA, Closed for the Season Tioga Pass, the major route through Yosemite National Park, California, is now closed for the season. Caltrans anounced on social media channels that it had received notice from National Park Services of the seasonal winter closure. The closure of Tioga Pass, also known has Highway 120, came into effect on Tuesday, November 21, 2023. Tioga Road closes each year from […] Industry News SnowBrains | November 22, 2023 0 Comments
Tioga Pass, Sonora Pass, and Other California Mountain Passes Closed After Heavy Snowfall More snow is temporarily closing mountain passes across California this week. It won’t be long now until these closures won’t be ‘temporary’ anymore. Related: SnowBrains Forecast: Snow For California This Week, More on the Way? The California Department of Transportation reported that Tioga Pass, renowned across the ski industry as a backcountry mecca, is currently under a temporary closure eastbound […] Industry News SnowBrains | November 8, 2023 0 Comments
9,945′ Tioga Pass Road in Yosemite, CA, Opens on Saturday, July 22, 2023 | Latest Opening Ever Tioga Road, CA, will re-open to vehicles this Saturday, July 22, 2023, from 8:00 a.m., the latest opening in the road’s history. The crew at Yosemite National Park has been hard at work to get the road through the park open, removing snow, blasting rocks & boulders, removing trees in danger of falling on the road, and clearing residual debris […] Industry News SnowBrains | July 19, 2023 0 Comments
[UPDATE] 9,943′ Tioga Pass, CA, Now Open From East to Yosemite Entrance | Latest Opening in Over a Century On Thursday, July 13th, Caltrans District 9 opened State Route 120 Tioga Pass for the summer. The road was opened between Lee Vining and the eastern entrance to Yosemite Park at the pass’s summit, offering access to campgrounds, trails, and backcountry skiing. However, the park entrance remains closed at this time, and vehicles will not be able to drive into […] Industry News SnowBrains | July 17, 2023 0 Comments
Caltrans Updates 9,943′ Tioga Pass Plowing Progress | No Estimated Opening Date, Latest Opening Since 1938 Caltrans recently gave updates on clearing 9,943′ Tioga Pass in California and is still unable to estimate an opening date. The opening of the popular route through Yosemite National Park’s high country has been delayed due to historic snowfall during the winter. “One lane is plowed the length of Tioga Road to Tioga Pass. Crews continue to clear snow from the […] SnowBrains | July 11, 2023 0 Comments
9,943′ Tioga Pass & 9,623′ Sonora Pass in California Have Closed Due to Snow “Due to snow and ice on the roadway, State Route 108/Sonora Pass has been closed in Mono County. Crews will assess the road for reopening after the storm.” – Caltrans on 10/22/22 “State Route 120 W/Tioga Pass in Mono County has closed due to the incoming storm. Crews will assess the road for reopening after the storm.” – Caltrans […] Industry News SnowBrains | October 23, 2022 0 Comments
Tioga Pass Opens This Friday | All Eastern Sierra Mountain Passes Open for Travelers Effective Friday, May 27th, all roads leading to Mono County will be open to road warriors seeking escape in the beautiful Eastern Sierra. Tioga Pass will officially reopen on May 27th at 9 am, marking the full opening of the three high elevation gateway passes that close each winter season and providing access to the pure natural wonder of California’s […] SnowBrains | May 26, 2022 1 Comment
Trip Report: Tioga Pass, CA – 1,800-Foot “Kidney Chute” Report from May 4, 2022 Today we skied 1,800-vertical-foot Kidney Chute off the Dana Plateau on the edge of Yosemite National Park, CA. The thing skied like a 5-star corn dream. Its 35º pitch is designed for cool, cruisy fun that just won’t stop. No, it literally won’t stop. We timed it and this thing took 2-minutes and 40-seconds to […] Conditions Report Miles Clark | May 5, 2022 10 Comments
Tioga Pass, CA Report: Solstice Couloir + Banana Chute = 1 Concussion, 1 Dislocated Shoulder, 2 Heinous Chutes Report from May 3, 2022 Today was wild… I skied the worst snow I’ve ever skied on Tioga Pass. One of our crew aired onto rocks in the parking lot, got a concussion, and dislocated his shoulder. We had to take him to the hospital. I pulled a 1cm long sea urchin spine from the Maldives out of my foot […] Conditions Report Miles Clark | May 4, 2022 4 Comments
Caltrans Opens Gate on Tioga Pass Near Lee Vining, CA | Motorists Can Now Travel Up To Yosemite Eastern Entrance Caltrans on Friday, April 29th, opened its gate on State Route 120 W near Lee Vining. Motorists can now travel up to the eastern entrance of Yosemite National Park, CA. Related: Caltrans Update Says They Hope to Open Tioga Pass, CA, for Memorial Day Weekend The park entrance is still closed at this time and drivers will not be able […] SnowBrains | May 2, 2022 0 Comments
Caltrans Update Says They Hope to Open Tioga Pass, CA, for Memorial Day Weekend April 15 means tax day to most people, but in Mono County, we know that is also the day that Yosemite National Park begins plowing operations to clear the Tioga Road. According to the previous update, crews have been working the last couple of weeks and made it to Tenaya Lake on April 22. Find progress updates here: https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/tioga.htm. Opening the […] SnowBrains | May 2, 2022 0 Comments
9,945′ Tioga Pass into Yosemite National Park, CA Now Open for the Season View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mammoth Lakes, California (@visitmammoth) Tioga Pass into Yosemite National Park is open for the season. Reservations are required to enter the park this summer. Important things to know: A reservation is required to drive into the park. A reservation is not required to enter the park by bicycle (but […] SnowBrains | May 27, 2021 0 Comments
9,945′ Tioga Pass, CA Will Open to Bicycles May 23rd and All Vehicles May 27th Tioga Road (the continuation of Highway 120 through Yosemite National Park, CA) will tentatively open to all vehicles on Thursday, May 27, at 8 am, weather and conditions permitting. Also this week: Caltrans Announces Ebbetts and Sonora Passes to Close Indefinitely Due to Incoming Snowstorm The full length of the road will be open to bicycles May 23–25, conditions permitting. […] SnowBrains | May 21, 2021 0 Comments
Tioga Pass, CA To Close Tonight at 6pm in Anticipation of Snow Storm Tioga Pass in California is closing tonight at 6 pm in anticipation of the coming snowstorm. Winter is coming—tonight! Road conditions will be reevaluated on Monday, Nov. 9 by Yosemite National Park for a possible reopening. Park officials do not expect this to result in a closure for the winter. SnowBrains | November 5, 2020 0 Comments
Tioga Pass Resort, CA Unlikely to Open This Year, Says Owner Popular Tioga Pass Resort, CA announced on Facebook yesterday that it is unlikely they will open this year. Hi everyone. I’ll keep this short. Work continues on the resort. However, numerous challenges abound. We will continue to move forward as best we can, but based upon current circumstances (very much including the ongoing pandemic), it now appears unlikely that we […] Industry News SnowBrains | July 14, 2020 2 Comments
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