Multiple rock slides at Yosemite National Park this week have forced the park to close multiple entrances, including one incident that killed two people on Tuesday, local authorities reported.
The California park shut down its El Portal entrance on Tuesday, after one rock slide killed visitors Georgios Theocharous, and Ming Yan, a married couple from San Jose, according to NBC News. The entrance was reopened the next day.
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Another entrance was closed on Friday evening from a rock slide, the park reported, as a winter storm causes hazardous conditions in the mountainous terrain. Those traveling in the park are encouraged to carry an emergency kit and chains, according to local ABC affiliate ABC30.
Big Oak Flat Road is temporarily closed east of Foresta due to a rockfall; there is no access to Yosemite Valley via Hwy 120 from the west. Yosemite Valley is accessible via Highways 41 and 140. Call 209/372-0200 (then 1, 1) to check road conditions and chain requirements.
— Yosemite National Park (@YosemiteNPS) December 31, 2022
The entrance was reopened Saturday afternoon, and no fatalities or injuries have been reported with the latest incident. Friday’s rockslide marked the third closure this month, after a larger slide occurred at the same entrance on Dec. 12, prompting the road’s closure for several days.
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Although uncommon, the park can experience many rockslides each year. Forty-seven were recorded in 2021 alone, according to the national park.
