Re: Tuolumne Ranger Station

I'm heading up to Ten Lakes on May 23. I have a permit and I am ready for any snow. It looks like the TM ranger station will not open until mid June, according to the Yosemite website. Can I just fill out a permit and leave it in the box like regular winter time or do you think I need to pick up my permit at another open permit office? I've tried to phone the permit office for the last few days and get a busy tone, I am sure they are up to their eyebrows right now!
Thanks

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atomicmonkey

I'm heading up to Ten Lakes on May 23. I have a permit and I am ready for any snow. It looks like the TM ranger station will not open until mid June, according to the Yosemite website. Can I just fill out a permit and leave it in the box like regular winter time or do you think I need to pick up my permit at another open permit office?

No, you cannot self-register at a closed Wilderness permit office. (One can only do that from November to the end of April.)

You must pick up your permit from a Wilderness permit office that's open, sorry.

Thanks, I guess the extra drive time will be in Yosemite and not in traffic at home!

Where's the page you saw, by the way? In past years they've opened the Wilderness Permit center in Tuolumne shortly after opening the road, long before opening other facilities around Tuolumne Meadows.

That's what I thought too. But each year could be different due to staffing and budget concerns.

Anyway, if one is entering the park via the Tioga Pass entrance, it's just a tiny detour to check to see if the Tuolumne Meadows Wilderness office has opened up for the season.

And with permit stations located at the Hwy 120 Big Oak Flat Entrance and in Wawona, there's really no reason why one has to drive to Yosemite Village to pick up their permit.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/07/2014 09:38AM by plawrence.

I called Yosemite yesterday and was told that when Tioga Rd reopens, the wilderness both will be open too. The person who answered put me on hold and checked with several people before responding, so I feel somewhat comfortable about the accuracy of the info given. He also indictaed that the wildderness booth was already open before the rd cloased.

According to rangers at the BOF entrance station last weekend, all trips originating outside the valley will be self-register until "mid to late May" due to budget cuts. I'd go by what's on the website here.

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basilbop
According to rangers at the BOF entrance station last weekend, all trips originating outside the valley will be self-register until "mid to late May" due to budget cuts. I'd go by what's on the website here.

Which is apparently incorrect or incomplete information. In addition, if you call the Park and listen to the recorded info regarding wilderness permits, it says that trips out of Tuolumne Meadows requires self registration at BOF also. But the recorded message also states that all trails out of Hetch Hetchy are closed due to the rim fire, which is obviously out of date. The message makes no mention of a closure due to the rock slide. I mentioned this to the ranger who answered the phone and he seemed unaware that the message was that out of date and he confirmed that the only current closure in Hetch Hetchy was due to the slide.

The Tuolumne wilderness center is open and staffed. My hiking partner got a permit on May 3, and talked to staff on the 5th.

That's fantastic! I found the mid June date on the NP website, but I can't find it again. I have been calling for three days to the permit office and it has been busy. Thank you guys for all the great info.

BTW: this is the phone # that I have been using from my permit Questions/Cancellations: Call (209) 372-0740, 9:00 a.m. - 4 p.m.

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atomicmonkey
That's fantastic! I found the mid June date on the NP website, but I can't find it again. I have been calling for three days to the permit office and it has been busy. Thank you guys for all the great info.

BTW: this is the phone # that I have been using from my permit Questions/Cancellations: Call (209) 372-0740, 9:00 a.m. - 4 p.m.

I called 209-372-0200 and followed the prompts to "speak to a ranger" - can't recall what the # sequence was, but I did it twice - the first time they were closed for lunch :-)