What to do if your Yosemite reservation was canceled

© Provided by Hearst Communications, Inc

As smoke from the Ferguson Fire fills the sky, vehicles leave Yosemite Valley in Yosemite National Park, Calif., on Tuesday, July 24, 2018. Parts of the park, including Yosemite Valley, will close Wednesday as firefighters work to stop the blaze. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

By Michelle Robertson, SF Gate

At least 1,000 campground and hotel bookings in Yosemite Valley have been canceled after officials announced swaths of the park would close from Wednesday at least until Sunday due to the Ferguson Fire.

Closures affect the 7.5-mile-long valley, the Wawona area of Yosemite National Park and the 20-mile stretch of State Route 41 that leads into the area, park spokesperson Scott Gediman said.

[post_ads]Those who reserved lodging through Aramark, an authorized concessioner in the park, between Wednesday and Sunday in evacuated areas  —  the Majestic Yosemite Hotel, Yosemite Valley Lodge and Half Dome Village — will receive a full refund of their deposit and can change their reservation dates, according to spokesperson Lisa Cesaro. Any pre-booked tour or activity is also eligible for a refund or reschedule.

The cancellation policy — you must forfeit the deposit of a night's stay if it is canceled less than one week before the reservation — remains in effect for all other dates and on the east side of the park, including Tuolomne Meadows Lodge, the High Sierra Camps, White Wolf Lodge and the Hetch Hetchy region.

© Provided by Hearst Communications, Inc

In this photo provided by Yosemite National Park, smoke from a fire rises above Little Yosemite Valley near Yosemite National Park, Calif., Sunday, Sept. 7, 2014. About 100 Yosemite National Park visitors were evacuated by helicopter Sunday when a wildfire that started weeks ago in the park's backcountry grew unexpectedly to at least 700 acres, officials said. (AP Photo/Yosemite National Park)

If you booked a reservation on Recreation.gov, which serves many of the campgrounds on the west side of Yosemite, you may receive a full refund by calling (888) 448-1474, according to the website. Reservations booked through August 6 will be canceled and refunded.

The last time Yosemite Valley closed due to fire was 1990, Gediman said.

"This is the prime visitor season, so this wasn't an easy decision to make," Gediman said. "This was purely for safety's sake."