I know Tioga Pass Road opens up when the snows are cleared in the spring, but I was wondering, how far can you drive up from the west before it's open in say April? Do they close it just past Crane Flat? I would like to drive to Porcupine Flat in about April

I'm pretty sure the entire road from Crane Flat to the park entrance at Tioga opens at the same time. The stretch from 395 to the Tioga entrance is controlled by Caltrans and they may open that portion of the road before the NPS opens the rest of 120.



Post Edited (11-23-07 13:05)

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Old Dude

mrcondron wrote:

> I'm pretty sure the entire road from Crane Flat to the park
> entrance at Tioga opens at the same time.

Actually they do open a portion of it from the West some years. Some years you can go all the way to Yosemite Creek before the entire road is open.

> The stretch from 395
> to the Tioga entrance is controlled by the forest service

Actually it's control by Caltrans.

That's what I said. Caltrans.

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Old Dude

The way things are going you'll be able to drive through in Jan, Feb and March, which makes for a nice shortcut from this side of the Sierra.

Vince in Sparks NV

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Vince
The way things are going you'll be able to drive through in Jan, Feb and March, which makes for a nice shortcut from this side of the Sierra.

Doesn't look like that quite worked out, Vince.

Quote
eeek

Quote
Vince
The way things are going you'll be able to drive through in Jan, Feb and March, which makes for a nice shortcut from this side of the Sierra.

Doesn't look like that quite worked out, Vince.

Good thing! Turned out to be not a bad snowpack.

Even in low snowfall years, I'm fairly certain that the NPS keeps the road closed until after the annual Road Crack Seal migration is over. [Sorry, I couldn't resist.]

Seriously, as I recall, the road closure gate is just past the Yosemite Institute facility (located where the Old Big Oak Flat Road intersects the Tioga Road). This is approximately 2/3 of a mile along the road from the Crane Flat gas station (the present day Big Oak Flat Road - Tioga Road intersection).

There have been 5 road opening dates in April since 1933, so your chances are not too good unless your other car is a snowcat:
http://www.monobasinresearch.org/data/tiogapass.htm