Yosemite National Park · seasonal road
Tioga Road: when it opens, year by year
Last verified Official record 1957–2025NPS page updated May 13, 2026 (source page); history table page: January 16, 2026
Tioga Road (Highway 120 through the park, from Crane Flat to Tioga Pass); the closure extends from the Tuolumne Grove, just east of Crane Flat, to the Tioga Pass Entrance Station Typically opens: Late May or June (typically open to vehicles from late May or June until sometime in November; plowing typically begins around April 15). Closes: Sometime in November (closes due to snow, usually from sometime in November through late May or early June).
- 2026 opening
- May 15
- scheduled
- Median opening
- May 24
- 68 years
- Earliest opening
- Apr 8
- 1977
- Latest opening
- Jul 22
- 2023
- Median closing
- Nov 13
- 45 years
The official record
68 years of Tioga Road
Each dot is a date from the park’s (or WSDOT’s) published table: gold opening, brick closing. Missing dots are years the table leaves blank.
1960s
May 24
average opening · 10 yrs
1970s
May 11
average opening · 10 yrs
1980s
May 22
average opening · 10 yrs
1990s
Jun 3
average opening · 10 yrs
2000s
May 26
average opening · 10 yrs
2010s
May 28
average opening · 10 yrs
2020s
Jun 12
average opening · 6 yrs
Show the full table ↓
| Year | Opened | Closed | Season (days) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | May 26 | Nov 12 | 170 |
| 2024 | Jun 10 | Nov 11 | 154 |
| 2023 | Jul 22 | Nov 15 | 116 |
| 2022 | May 27 | Oct 31 | 157 |
| 2021 | May 27 | Oct 21 | 147 |
| 2020 | Jun 15 | Nov 5 | 143 |
| 2019 | Jul 1 | Nov 19 | 141 |
| 2018 | May 21 | Nov 20 | 183 |
| 2017 | Jun 29 | Nov 14 | 138 |
| 2016 | May 18 | Nov 16 | 182 |
| 2015 | May 4 | Nov 1 | 181 |
| 2014 | May 2 | Nov 13 | 195 |
| 2013 | May 11 | Nov 18 | 191 |
| 2012 | May 7 | Nov 8 | 185 |
| 2011 | Jun 18 | Dec 31 | 196 |
| 2010 | Jun 5 | — | — |
| 2009 | May 19 | Nov 12 | 177 |
| 2008 | May 21 | Oct 30 | 162 |
| 2007 | May 11 | Dec 6 | 209 |
| 2006 | Jun 17 | Nov 27 | 163 |
| 2005 | Jun 24 | Nov 25 | 154 |
| 2004 | May 14 | Oct 17 | 156 |
| 2003 | May 31 | Oct 31 | 153 |
| 2002 | May 22 | Nov 5 | 167 |
| 2001 | May 12 | Nov 11 | 183 |
| 2000 | May 18 | Nov 9 | 175 |
| 1999 | May 28 | Nov 23 | 179 |
| 1998 | Jul 1 | Nov 12 | 134 |
| 1997 | Jun 13 | Nov 12 | 152 |
| 1996 | May 13 | Nov 5 | 176 |
| 1995 | Jun 30 | Dec 11 | 164 |
| 1994 | May 25 | Nov 10 | 169 |
| 1993 | Jun 3 | Nov 24 | 174 |
| 1992 | May 15 | Nov 10 | 179 |
| 1991 | May 26 | Nov 14 | 172 |
| 1990 | May 17 | Nov 19 | 186 |
| 1989 | May 12 | Nov 24 | 196 |
| 1988 | Apr 29 | Nov 14 | 199 |
| 1987 | May 2 | Nov 13 | 195 |
| 1986 | May 24 | Nov 29 | 189 |
| 1985 | May 8 | Nov 12 | 188 |
| 1984 | May 19 | Nov 8 | 173 |
| 1983 | Jun 29 | Nov 11 | 135 |
| 1982 | May 28 | Nov 15 | 171 |
| 1981 | May 15 | Nov 12 | 181 |
| 1980 | Jun 6 | Dec 2 | 179 |
| 1979 | May 18 | — | — |
| 1978 | Jun 3 | — | — |
| 1977 | Apr 8 | — | — |
| 1976 | Apr 10 | — | — |
| 1975 | May 29 | — | — |
| 1974 | May 17 | — | — |
| 1973 | May 18 | — | — |
| 1972 | Apr 20 | — | — |
| 1971 | May 14 | — | — |
| 1970 | May 16 | — | — |
| 1969 | Jun 7 | — | — |
| 1968 | May 10 | — | — |
| 1967 | Jun 17 | — | — |
| 1966 | May 28 | — | — |
| 1965 | May 29 | — | — |
| 1964 | May 15 | — | — |
| 1963 | May 30 | — | — |
| 1962 | May 23 | — | — |
| 1961 | Apr 21 | — | — |
| 1960 | May 13 | — | — |
| 1958 | Jun 22 | — | — |
| 1957 | May 25 | — | — |
Table source: www.nps.gov/common/uploads/sortable_dataset/yose/3100211F-F070-1219-7F
In the park's words
What Yosemite says about Tioga Road
“Tioga Road (Highway 120 through the park, from Crane Flat to Tioga Pass) is usually closed from November through late May or early June.” source
“The road closure extends from the Tuolumne Grove, just east of Crane Flat, to Tioga Pass Entrance Station.” source
“Tioga Road is typically open to vehicles from late May or June until sometime in November. Plowing typically begins around April 15.” source
“Tioga Road closes due to snow, usually from sometime in November through late May or early June.” source
“Tioga Road will open for the season to all traffic on Friday, May 15 , at 8 am.” source
“Tioga Road is scheduled to open to vehicle traffic on May 15, the earliest opening in 16 years.” source
Worth knowing
- History table: NPS 'Historical Road Opening Dates' sortable dataset (CSV), 1980-2025 with both dates; 1957-1979 carry an opening date only (published as d-Mon, e.g. 18-May); 1959, 1956 and earlier years are blank and omitted.
- Cross-check against NPS 'closed for the season' news releases (captured): the table's closed date is often EARLIER than the announced season closing - 2014: table Tioga Nov 13 / Glacier Point Nov 28 vs release dated Dec 15, 2014; 2015: table Tioga Nov 01 vs release dated Dec 9, 2015; 2016: table Nov 16 vs release dated Dec 1, 2016; 2019: table Tioga Nov 19 / Glacier Point Nov 25 vs release dated Nov 27, 2019. The table probably records the first closure, which the road can reopen after; treat 'closed' as 'closed on this date' not 'final closing of the season'.
- Claim check: the May 13, 2026 release calls the May 15 date 'the earliest opening in 16 years', but this same NPS table shows earlier Tioga openings in 2012 (May 07), 2013 (May 11), 2014 (May 02) and 2015 (May 04).
About this page
Dates are the park’s and WSDOT’s own, captured on 2026-10-05 and re-checked at every build. Medians and extremes are arithmetic on the published rows; we do not forecast. Weather closes passes without notice, so check live alerts for Yosemite before you drive. Other seasonal roads in the park: Glacier Point Road.
Sources · 3
- 1.Yosemite National Park — Tioga Road (official page) · National Park Service
- 2.Tioga Road — historical opening dates table · National Park Service
- 3.Seasonal road pages and historical opening-date tables on nps.gov and wsdot.wa.gov, read and quoted · National Park Service; Washington State DOT
FAQ
Tioga Road questions
- When does Tioga Road open?
- Yosemite says: Late May or June (typically open to vehicles from late May or June until sometime in November; plowing typically begins around April 15). Across 68 recorded years the median opening is May 24, ranging from Apr 8 (1977) to Jul 22 (2023). For 2026 the stated date was May 15, 2026.
- When does Tioga Road close for the season?
- Yosemite says: Sometime in November (closes due to snow, usually from sometime in November through late May or early June). In the official record the median closing is Nov 13 (45 years), earliest Oct 17 in 2004. Closing dates depend on the first lasting snow and are rarely announced ahead.
- Is Tioga Road opening later than it used to?
- The 1960s averaged an opening around May 24; the 2020s average is Jun 12 — about 19 days later. That is the arithmetic of the official table, not a forecast; snowpack, staffing and construction all move the date.
- Is Tioga Road open right now?
- Check the park's road-status page (linked under Sources) or its alerts: our “Is Yosemite open?” page shows the live NPS alerts.
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