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Planning A Yosemite Vacay? You're Probably Going To Need A Reservation. Here's How
Yosemite National Park.
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George Rose/Getty Images
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Getty Images North America
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Beginning this weekend, visitors traveling to Yosemite will need a reservation to enter the park on weekends and holidays. It's part of a pilot program to relieve traffic congestion and overcrowding for any day-use trips in the next six months.
The backstory: In recent years, national parks along the Sierra Nevada have struggled with large crowds during the weekends and summer months. A temporary reservation system was first launched for Yosemite in the summers of 2020 and 2021 to alleviate crowd sizes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Officials brought the system back in 2022 since many of Yosemite’s main roads were shuttered for construction.
Why now: Last summer, park officials lifted the reservation system, and hours-long traffic jams came back in full force, leading to illegal parking and overcrowded bathrooms. A pilot program is now again being put in place this summer until the end of October.
How does the reservation system work? The reservation requirements will slightly shift over the course of the next six months.
- From April 13 through June 30: A reservation is required to drive into the park from 5 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays (May 27 and June 19). A reservation is not required on other days.
- July 1 through Aug. 16: A reservation is required to drive into the park every day from 5 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Aug. 17 through Oct. 27: A reservation is required from 5 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays (Sept. 2 and Oct. 14). A reservation is not required on other days.
How much does it cost? Park entrance per vehicle is $35 at the gate, regardless of the number of passengers. A $2 service fee is the reservation. Those staying inside Yosemite won’t be affected by the reservation system.
Where can I make a reservation? Go to Recreation.gov, or call (877) 444-6777.
Is this system going to stick around? Not sure yet, but park officials are working on a new visitor access management plan, which involves ideas like reconfiguring park entrances, contactless entrance systems, expanded bicycle paths, parking, and shuttle services. Public hearings are expected this summer, while a first draft of the plan is slated for next year.
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