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By Michelle Robertson, SF Gate
At least 1,000 campground and hotel bookings in Yosemite Valley have been canceled after officials announced swaths of the park would close from Wednesday at least until Sunday due to the Ferguson Fire.
Closures affect the 7.5-mile-long valley, the Wawona area of Yosemite National Park and the 20-mile stretch of State Route 41 that leads into the area, park spokesperson Scott Gediman said.
[post_ads]Those who reserved lodging through Aramark, an authorized concessioner in the park, between Wednesday and Sunday in evacuated areas — the Majestic Yosemite Hotel, Yosemite Valley Lodge and Half Dome Village — will receive a full refund of their deposit and can change their reservation dates, according to spokesperson Lisa Cesaro. Any pre-booked tour or activity is also eligible for a refund or reschedule.
The cancellation policy — you must forfeit the deposit of a night's stay if it is canceled less than one week before the reservation — remains in effect for all other dates and on the east side of the park, including Tuolomne Meadows Lodge, the High Sierra Camps, White Wolf Lodge and the Hetch Hetchy region.
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If you booked a reservation on Recreation.gov, which serves many of the campgrounds on the west side of Yosemite, you may receive a full refund by calling (888) 448-1474, according to the website. Reservations booked through August 6 will be canceled and refunded.
The last time Yosemite Valley closed due to fire was 1990, Gediman said.
"This is the prime visitor season, so this wasn't an easy decision to make," Gediman said. "This was purely for safety's sake."
The last time Yosemite Valley closed due to fire was 1990, Gediman said.
"This is the prime visitor season, so this wasn't an easy decision to make," Gediman said. "This was purely for safety's sake."
