Ever since the rock slide that prompted a new round of cabin closings in Yosemite Valley’s Curry Village, the future of Yosemite National Park’s accommodations remains uncertain. Curry Village sits at the top of the seven mile long Yosemite Valley underneath Glacier Point, the 3000-foot granite cliff face is one of the most active rock faces in Yosemite National Park.
Last month’s rock slide sent a hailstorm of rocks and boulders into Curry Village again, wreaking havoc and prompting the closing of 233 of Curry Village’s 600 tent and solid wall cabins. As the slide area continues to widen over the years, it is possible that more accommodations could be closed, eventually potentially closing the entire Curry Village. The recent closings reduce the number of in-park accommodations further, cutting the total number of accommodation units down by half, from a high of 2,353 in 1996, to 1,270 today.
There were two plans in place to restore more than two hundred rooms lost at the Yosemite Lodge in 1997 due to a flood, and also to replace ninety of the nearly four hundred campsites that were lost during that event. But those plans, along with any near-term replacement of camps and cabins in Curry Village, are not likely as a circuit court judge has blocked all construction and development in Yosemite National Park due to concerns of the adverse impact that such might have on the Merced River running through the Yosemite Valley, as well as the environmental impact. The court ruled that Yosemite National Park's master plan must be redone before new development can take place and that is not expected before 2012.
Park officials are worried that due to the economic recession and the subsequent burdens placed on the federal budget, funding for national parks will be compromised and when a new master plan does get approved, the funds will not be available for any redevelopment of accommodations in Yosemite National Park. As accommodations dwindle, visitors are forced to stay outside of the park and must then bus or drive in daily.
If you were booked to stay inside Yosemite Valley at Curry Village, please check with your tour provider or accommodations agent to be sure that your reservations are not affected by the most recent closings at Curry Village and if so, alternative arrangements can be made for your stay within Yosemite National Park.
