If you want to go
Cost: $30 per vehicle, good for a week; $20 per motorcycle. Free entrance: Saturday and Sunday, April 15-16, April 22-23. Road conditions: Caltrans, (800) 427-7623, www. dot.ca.gov/cgi-bin/roads.cgi. In snow conditions, you must carry chains to enter Yosemite National Park. Yosemite road hotline, (209) 372-0200, option 1.
Lodging in the park: The Majestic Yosemite Hotel, Yosemite Valley Lodge, Big Trees Lodge (opens March 31), Housekeeping Camp (opens April 14). Reserve at www.travelyosemite.com, then click on lodging (available dates listed), or (888) 4138869. Lodging outside the park: Tenaya Lodge, near Wawona at Fish Camp; reserve at www. tenayalodge.com or (888) 5142167. Lodging available outside park in Mariposa, El Portal, Groveland, Fish Camp; 121 sites listed at www.yosemite.com.
Camping in the park: Upper Pines, RVs up to 35 feet, trailers up to 24 feet, plus tent sites, $26 per night; Camp 4 (walk-in tent sites only), first come, first served, $6 per person per night. Lower Pines projected to open Wednesday, North Pines projected to open April 3. Reservations and a chance to fill cancellations at www.recreation. gov. Camping outside the valley: Hodgdon Meadow on Highway 120 near Big Oak Flat entrance station (best camp for access to Hetch Hetchy), Wawona (south end of park) on Highway 41; both open, first come, first served; $26 per night, (209) 372-0266. Tioga Road: Crane Flat, Tamarack Flat, White Wolf, Yosemite Creek, Porcupine Flat, Tuolumne Meadows projected to open in midsummer. Info: Yosemite National Park, (209) 372-0200, www.nps.gov/ yose.
GETTING TO, AROUND YOSEMITE VALLEY
Arch Rock entrance: Drive to Merced and the junction of Highway 99 and Highway 140. From Merced, drive east on Highway 140 for 37 miles to Mariposa. Bear left (still 140), drive through Mariposa and continue east 30 miles to the park boundary at El Portal. Continue 6.4 miles (through Arch Rock and tunnel) to Southside Drive and continue into Yosemite Valley. Note: Highway 140 never climbs above 4,000 feet (where chain controls are rare). Along the Merced River, a one-lane detour provides a bypass around a rockslide area. Park shuttle bus: Parking is available at the Yosemite Falls parking area (east of Yosemite Lodge) and at Half Dome Village (formerly Curry Village). Distances to Half Dome Village: 80 miles from Merced, 156 miles from Dublin, 163 miles from Sacramento, 169 miles from Concord, 185 miles from San Mateo, 188 miles from San Francisco, 195 miles from San Jose, 199 miles from San Rafael.
HOW TO GET TO HETCH HETCHY
To Groveland: From San Francisco, take the Bay Bridge to Interstate 580 East. Drive 46 miles to Interstate 205 East. Drive 14 miles to Interstate 5 North, merge, and go 2 miles to the exit for Highway 108/120Manteca/Sonora. Turn right on Highway 108/120 and drive about 100 miles (look for 108/ 120 signs at junctions when driving through towns) to the exit for Highway 120/Groveland. Bear right on 120 and drive (newer vehicles can take the shortcut up Old Priest Grade) through Big Oak Flat to Groveland. Groveland to Hetch Hetchy: From Groveland, continue east on Highway 120 for 22 miles to Evergreen Road (signed for Hetch Hetchy). Turn left on Evergreen Road and drive 7.4 miles to Hetch Hetchy Road. Turn right on Hetch Hetchy Road and drive 9 miles to the dam and trailhead; parking is just up the road.
CLOSED ROADS
Big Oak Flat: Highway 120/Big Oak Flat Road (from Manteca/ Groveland) is closed past the Big Oak Flat entrance station at Crane Flat with no access to Yosemite Valley. Tioga Road: Highway 120/Tioga Road from Crane Flat to Tuolumne Meadows and over Tioga Pass is closed, probably well into July.
Glacier Point: Glacier Point Road is closed because of snow at Badger Pass beyond the Yosemite Ski and Board Area; Yosemite Ski and Board is scheduled to close April 3, and at that time, Glacier Point Road may be closed temporarily at the turnoff from Highway 41 until rangers determine safe road conditions for all cars. Mariposa Grove: Access to the Mariposa Grove of giant Sequoia redwoods is closed for restoration and expected to open in fall.