Rockslide near Yosemite blocks major entrance to park. Here’s when highway could reopen

A massive rockslide closed one of the main entrances into Yosemite National Park, forcing visitors to seek out alternative routes.

As of Friday, a 4.5-mile stretch of Highway 140 was closed east of Briceburg in Mariposa County, according to Caltrans.

The closure has snarled plans for folks trying to access the popular national park in California’s Sierra Nevada.

“We are asking motorists to avoid this stretch of highway until the needed repairs are finished, to exercise patience and seek alternative routes,” said Brian Hooker, a spokesperson for Caltrans District 10.

“We know it’s a big inconvenience to the traveling public, to guests that are trying to get to Yosemite, to the local hotels and obviously to the local economy in Mariposa,” Hooker said. “But it is paramount that we keep that road closed right now until we can make sure it’s a safe situation.”

Why is Highway 140 closed near Yosemite National Park?

The debris slide occurred at approximately 10 p.m. on Monday, March 17, across both lanes this resulting in an “immediate full closure of the highway,” according to Hooker.

Hooker said the rockslide affected both lanes of the roadway.

Caltrans teamed up with the California Highway Patrol’s Mariposa office to establish full road closures just west of the side in Briceburg and to the east of the slide at Yosemite Cedar Lodge, Hooker told The Fresno Bee via email.

As of Tuesday, the highway was under “a long-term full closure” from Briceburg to Incline and Hites Mine Road in Mariposa County, the CHP said in a Facebook post.

On Tuesday morning, Hooker said, “There was additional movement with the slide.”

“Caltrans and the CHP decided extra precautionary measures were needed to ensure the safety of the traveling public, maintenance workers and first responders by keeping the closures in place,” Hooker told The Bee via phone on Friday.

When do slide removal and road repairs start?

Before contractors can start debris removal efforts or make repairs to the roadway, “We have to first and foremost make sure that that slope is stable and it’s a safe situation for our staff,” Hooker said.

Hooker said that a “team of geotechnical experts” was examining the slide on Friday to determine which material needs to be removed.

“They’re working diligently right now to inspect the slide today,” he said, adding that the team would likely continue its work through the weekend.

Once that’s completed, crews can begin the long process of reopening Highway 140, Hooker added.

What are alternate routes for park visitors?

Hooker recommended that drivers use Highway 41 and Highway 120 to access Yosemite National Park and El Portal Road, a continuation of Highway 140, Hooker said via email.

Caltrans has signage on Highway 99 and other highways warning people that “Highway 140 is closed and impassable, and to take the alternative route,” Hooker said.

“Chains are required,” Yosemite National Park said on its website.

When will Highway 140 reopen?

According to Hooker, Caltrans hopes to restore access to Yosemite National Park via Highway 140 “before the end of the month.”

“That is a tentative target,” he cautioned.

“Once they start excavating and removing the debris material we are hopeful we will be able to restore traffic, at least a one-way traffic control,” Hooker said, noting that there’s “no current estimated time of re-opening.”

He said Caltrans will provide continuous updates to the public via social media, news releases and the Caltrans QuickMap app.

Are other roads are closed at Yosemite National Park?

According to the Yosemite National Park website, several roads in the national park were closed as off Friday, March 21.

These included El Portal Road, a continuation of Highway 140.

Tioga Road, a continuation of Highway 120, and Glacier Point Road were closed for the season due to snow.

Tioga Road usually reopens in late May or June, while Glacier Point Road typically reopens sometime in May, depending on weather conditions, the park said on its website.

Mariposa Grove Road, which was also closed for the season, usually reopens in April, according to the park website.

For Yosemite National Park road information, call 209-372-0200, Caltrans said on its QuickMaps website.

This story was originally published March 21, 2025 at 3:43 PM.

Fernanda Galan

The Fresno Bee

559-441-6005

Fernanda Galan covers Central Valley and California news as The Fresno Bee’s service journalism reporter. Before joining The Bee in 2024, she reported in Milwaukee, Arizona and Los Angeles. She is a graduate of Arizona State’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication.