Yosemite Is Reopening to Visitors Today After Closing Due to Hazardous Wildfire Smoke

Yosemite isn’t the only park that closed during the wildfires. A total of 34 parks in California closed, though many of these parks have since reopened. Most tragic among these, Big Basin Redwoods State Park announced earlier that it would stay closed for 12 months after the park’s headquarters, ranger station, nature museum, gatehouse, campground bathrooms, and several park residences were destroyed by fires.

Yosemite’s reopening comes just in time for National Public Lands Day, an annual holiday where all US national parks offer free entry. Given the fortuitous timing, this weekend might be the perfect time to take a trip to Yosemite.