Yosemite National Park to close much of valley as flooding risk grows
Yosemite National Park announced most of Yosemite Valley, the park's most popular section, will close Friday for at least five days due to the risk of flooding.
Snow is expected to melt rapidly as warm spring weather reaches Yosemite and other parts of the Sierra Nevada range.
Park officials said they will reopen this section on Wednesday, May 3 at the earliest.
Additional closures could come in May or June as more snow melts from the winter's epic storms, the park warned.
Yosemite National Park is stunning covered in snow
It's a hard call to make: Which season is the most stunning at Yosemite National Park? Some say it's winter.
The closure will limit the ability of tourists to visit the park's landmarks and hiking trails.
Visitors with reservations at the various campgrounds and hotels in the heart of the Valley will be canceled and automatically refunded.
Wilderness permits can be possibly rescheduled for other trailheads.
The park closed for several weeks in March when it was buried under heavy snow.