Arch Rock Entrance Station Wireless Bridge

Yosemite National Park » Arch Rock Entrance Station Wireless Bridge » Document List

The implementation of a temporary reservation system for park entry in 2020 significantly increased the importance of network connectivity at the park entrance stations. Intermittent network connection has made it difficult for gate staff to access a visitor's reservation information to confirm their entry and has caused delays at the park's four entry stations. In addition to supporting the reservation system, credit card transactions using a new point-of-sale system, gate staff access to network-based systems such as SharePoint and email, VoIP phone systems, and camera servers all rely on dependable network connectivity at the park's entrance stations.

The park is proposing to create a wireless bridge between the Arch Rock Entrance Station and the Turtleback Dome Telecommunications facility to improve network connectivity at the entrance station. This will be accomplished by removing an existing wooden utility pole northeast of the Arch Rock Entrance Station and installing a new pole of the same size and appearance approximately 27 feet closer to the Merced River. The park is also proposing to install a wireless link at Elephant Rock, within line of sight of this relocated pole and the Turtleback Dome Telecommunications facility.

The equipment at both sites will consist of a single 24" parabolic antenna. New equipment at both locations (poles, antennas, solar panel frames) will be painted brown or black to the extent possible to minimize visual impact. The location and expected ground disturbance associated with these sites is summarized below:

Arch Rock:
37.68632, -119.72999
Equipment: 24" parabolic antenna mounted on wooden monopole buried in hole ~8" in diameter and ~5' deep. Power will be trenched from the current pole location to the proposed location (27' long x 18" wide x 18" deep).

Elephant Rock:
37.71294 -119.71122
Equipment: 24" parabolic antenna and 3 solar panels mounted on a 4" steel pole buried ~6' in new location. The pole may be moved within a few feet of the proposed location if bedrock is encountered before reaching 6'.

This project is estimated to take 4-5 weeks to implement. This entrance station connectivity solution will use unlicensed frequencies.