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Yosemite National Park reopened the Tioga Road on Saturday between Yosemite Valley and Tuolumne Meadows and the Eastern Sierra for the first time since the Rim fire was at its peak. A stretch of the high country road, also known as State Route 120, had remained closed between the Crane Flat and White Wolf sections of the park for firefighting activities. Even now, stopping along the Tioga Road burn area is prohibited, Yosemite said. Tioga Pass and the Tioga Road typically stay open well into fall before closing until spring due to snow, ice and dislodged rocks. While it's open, the route is a vital link across the Sierra Nevada for residents and visitors.
The latest on the Rim fire is that it has burned 405 square miles of Sierra forest and destroyed 11 residences. Firefighters have the burn zone 84 percent contained, but there are still more than 1,700 personnel working on the fire. Within Yosemite, Hetch Hetchy, Aspen Valley, the Tuolumne Grove and the Tamarack Flat and Hodgon Meadow campgrounds remained closed. White Wolf Lodge and the Yosemite Creek and White Wolf campgrounds have closed for the season.
LA Observed file photo at Tenaya Lake on the Tioga Road
