Tourists adjust plans amid Yosemite Park closure

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK (KFSN) -- As snow covered mountains and winter weather rolled into Yosemite National Park Thursday - officials announced they are closing the park through the weekend.

"Obviously I know that this is kind of the low season because it's kind of the end of the winter so, we knew that it could happen," said Hugo Hidalgo, visiting from Mexico.

Hugo Hidalgo and his family traveled from Guadalajara, Mexico. They got here two days ago and while they planned to do more at the park, they still got a chance to hit the slopes.

"It's a really gorgeous place, I would recommend it and probably I'll come back soon with my family," said Hidalgo.

Getting to see the fresh powder and stunning views at Yosemite was not the case for Bilal and Elise Noorzai.

They came from Monterey to celebrate her husband's 24th birthday. She says they are now staying in Oakhurst after their Airbnb canceled the reservation.

"We were able to get a refund. It was like special circumstance, Airbnb is really hard to get a refund, but since this was out of everyone's control," said Elise Noorzai, visiting from Monterey.

Now the Noorzai's and Hidalgo families are spending time shopping and visiting businesses in Mariposa.

"We actually have a pretty decent day the first day of the closure, then after that it gets really bad," said Su Carney, owner of Yosemite Gifts.

That initial boom in business is not the same for lodging places like Miners Inn.

"When they do this it really affects us, people start immediately calling to cancel," said Christine Santana, assistant manager at Mariposa Miners Inn.

Santana tells me from fires, floods and now this closure - it's just another thing they have to overcome with customers.

"People get scared to drive because they start to hear the storm and the floods and this and that and they start panicking," said Santana.

The Noorazi's are still making the most out of their trip and holding out hope to visit one of the seven natural wonders of North America.

"We'll be here til Sunday so hopefully the park opens, we could still drive through, look around," said Elise Noorzai.

Their birthday celebrations could still be possible. The park is set to be closed through Sunday at noon at that time officials will either re-open the park or close it for longer.

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