US Yosemite National Park reopens after months-long closure

LOS ANGELES -- The Yosemite National Park, one of the most visited national parks in the American West, reopened Thursday after being closed for months amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Beginning June 11, the park will open all the primary attractions to some extent and visitors will be able to enter Yosemite in a multitude of ways," said park officials on its official website, noting that they are working to increase access to the park in Northern California in a phased approach following the guidance from the White House, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and state and local public health authorities.

Most areas of the park will open with some modifications. Visitors will be invited to enjoy 800 miles (around 1,280 km) of park trails and popular destinations including Yosemite Valley, Glacier Point, Mariposa Grove, and Tuolumne Meadows. But some locations are still closed due to public health and safety concerns, according to the park.

The park will implement a temporary day-use reservation system for visitors. In the initial opening phase, the system will offer 1,700 vehicle passes each day.

"There is no place like Yosemite, and we can't wait to welcome visitors back," said acting superintendent of the park Cicely Muldoon in a statement earlier this week.

"It's going to be a different kind of summer, and we will continue to work hand in hand with our gateway communities to protect community health and restore access to Yosemite National Park," Muldoon added.

The Yosemite National Park is the latest of US national parks to welcome back visitors, and it was shut down on March 20 in response to the spread of COVID-19. This is the longest closure in the park's history.

Designated as a World Heritage Site in 1984, Yosemite is internationally recognized for its landscapes and biological diversity, which receives some 4 million visitors each year.