Mt. Williamson Motel and Base Camp

05/28/2026

We get it, you got a coveted permit, took PTO, booked your trip - just to see this in the forecast 🙄 Still, we highly recommend not attempting any High Sierra peaks or passes, including Mt Whitney, during this storm. Trails will be hard to find, it'll be (literally) freezing cold and wet, old snowfields will be covered up and hiding until your feet suddenly slip, and there will be no air support for rescues. If you need a rescue in this kind of weather, you'll need to wait for many, many hours until we reach you by foot - if we think it's safe enough to even go.
The storm will pass and the mountains will still be there another day. Don't push it, it's not worth the risk.

Inyo SAR is an all-volunteer and unpaid, professional non-profit 501(c)3 organization in cooperation with and under the authority of the Inyo County Sheriff's Office. Providing search and rescue services to Inyo County and its visitors is only possible thanks to donations. 

05/28/2026

The Tioga Road (continuation of Highway 120 through the park) will temporarily close today, May 26, at 5 pm due to a forecast of snow.

You can still drive into Yosemite via Highways 41, 140, and 120 from the west (but not from the east over Tioga Pass).

We will evaluate the road after the storm passes. Please call 209/372-0200 (then 1, 1) to check road status. Check upcoming weather conditions prior to visiting the park: https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/weathermap.htm.

05/28/2026

Summer is approaching, but it is snowing in the Sierra Nevada!
Let this be a reminder of how powerful and unpredictable these mountains can be.
Snowshowers can happen year round, thunderstorms are coming and weather predictions are hard to pin down. Always carry equipment to keep you warm and dry regardless of what the forcast says and remember that only you know what it safe for you!

05/14/2026

Tioga Road (continuation of Highway 120 through the park) will open for the season to all traffic on Friday, May 15, at 8 am.

Come prepared! There is no drinking water or food service available along the road corridor, and the only restrooms are vault and portable toilets. The campgrounds along the Tioga Road are not yet open. The Tuolumne Meadows Visitor Center and Wilderness Center remain closed until further notice. Bring appropriate levels of food, water, and fuel for your trip. Gas is not available from Crane Flat to Lee Vining.

The trans-Sierra route across the park gives access to Tuolumne Meadows and the high country. There is still snow on north facing and high elevation trails, making navigation challenging. Hikers should have GPS, as well as map and compass (and know how to use them).

Please stay on trails, even if they are muddy or flooded, to avoid creating new trails. Do not walk on fragile meadows.

Bears, deer, marmots and birds have gotten accustomed to life without visitors, so please obey posted speed limits and keep your eyes peeled for critters on the road.

Shout out to all of our crews who make opening this road corridor possible each spring!

05/12/2026

Our backyard captured on 35mm 🎞
We've been receiving a lot of requests for hiker extras through bookers on third party platforms this year-
Please make sure you are on our website when you make a reservation (or give us a call!). Many third party reservation systems are very good at masquerading and we are unable to add hiker Packages and rides to reservations not made directly. If you don't see "Resupply Packages " as an option, you are not on our site. www.mtwilliamsonmotel.com

photos shot by

02/21/2026

Why spend hundreds of dollars to stay in Mammoth the night before you hit the slopes ? Next time your thinking about racing the rest of LA to Mammoth after work Friday- consider making a stop in Independence! just an hour and a half south of Mammoth- you can wake up and still catch the opening lift feeling better rested and free from a night of resort fees!

02/14/2026