LOS ANGELES — After a nearly one-month closure, Yosemite National Park’s famed Mariposa Grove of giant sequoias reopened to the public this week, drawing hundreds of people who came together to celebrate the survival of the towering trees after they had been threatened by wildfire.
The 4,886-acre Washburn fire, which had posed danger to the grove’s 500 mature sequoias, was 100% contained, Yosemite park ranger Scott Gediman said, though some fire crews remain doing mop-up work and extinguishing hot spots. The crews will probably stay in the area for about another week or two, Gediman said.
Only a few trails in the grove remain closed, including the Washburn trail, the western portion of the perimeter trail, and the trail from Mariposa Grove to Wawona, but the most popular trails opened Wednesday, Gediman said.
