The National Park Service has announced that due to a wildfire it will close the Tioga Road from Crane Flat to White Wolf this Labor Day Weekend (Sept. 4 – 6).  There is, however a way past this seemingly impossible obstacle to Tuolumne Meadows and you’ll have it almost entirely to yourself.

Instead of driving the Tioga Road, take Sonora Pass (CA SR 108) from Sonora east to US 395, then south to Lee Vining.  There you can take CA SR 120E into Yosemite National Park and to Tuolumne Meadows.  Or, enjoy the Labor Day weekend visiting the Eastern Sierra and Bodie State Historic Park, Mono Lake, the June Lake Loop and the Walker River for sightseeing, hiking, fishing, cycling, horseback riding or just kicking back.

Feb. 1 is the deadline to sign up to attend a User Capacity Symposium, Feb. 6 – 8, in Yosemite Valley to explore how to approach limiting visitation to Yosemite National Park and other public lands. Participating will be public land managers, researchers, elected officials, tribes and members of the public at large in open dialogue. To participate, email jim_bacon@nps.gov. Attendance is limited to 150.

Several opportunities to attend Yosemite National Park’s famous Bracebridge Dinner have become available.  Bracebridge is a national cultural treasure, a three-hour-long holiday banquet and concert, conceived by renowned Yosemite photographer Ansel Adams, that occurs in the world-famous Ahwahnee hotel Dining Room.  Approximately 30 seats each night for this highly sought-after event have been packaged with lodging at the luxurious Yosemite View Lodge for the nights of December 18, 19, 21 and 26.  Each dinner seat is $376 per person, including the seven-course gourmet feast and musical pageant.  Rooms at the Yosemite View Lodge vary from $142 to $210 per night, a 20% savings offered specially for Bracebridge guests.  To reserve your Bracebridge Dinner tickets and hotel room package, call 1-800-321-5261.  Hurry, as these once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to attend Bracebridge will be gone before you can say, “Jack Frost.”

 It’s possible to get free admission to Yosemite National Park within lodging and recreation packages offered by area accommodations.  At the Yosemite View Lodge in El Portal, guest receive a seven-day park admission pass when purchasing the “Yosemite For Free” package in advance.

To qualify, you must stay at least two nights at “The View” and purchase the package in advance.  The View has very nice rooms with king or two queen beds, spa tubs, double showers, fireplaces, kitchenettes and private balconies or decks that overlook the nationally-designated “Wild and Scenic” Merced River.

The “Yosemite For Free” package is only available online in advance of stay at www.yosemiteresorts.us/specials.  On check in, you will be given a vehicle pass good for seven days admission to Yosemite National Park.

Since The View is located outside the national park on State Route 140, don’t make the mistake of driving SR 120 or SR41 to the property or you’ll have to pass through the national park to get there and will have to pay for park admission to get to the hotel.  Instead, drive directly to The View on SR 140 through Mariposa.  Once at The View, you can pick up your free pass and enter the national park.