Yosemite front-country campgrounds open

Yosemite National Park said on May 13 that all front-country campgrounds will be open this summer, giving visitors full access to reservable car-camping sites as the park heads into its peak season. The National Park Service said reservations are available through Recreation.gov, while other seasonal access points, including Tioga Road, Glacier Point Road and parts of the trail system, are also reopening. The update adds detail to Yosemite’s February guidance that a reservation will not be required to enter the park in 2026. Park officials also warned that weekend traffic and early parking shortages in Yosemite Valley are still likely. ### Which Yosemite campgrounds are open, and where do you book them? Yosemite National Park said all front-country campgrounds will be open this summer and available for reservation through Recreation.gov. The May 13 park release did not list each campground in that announcement, but Yosemite’s Recreation.gov gateway shows 16 campground listings tied to the park, including Upper Pines, Lower Pines, North Pines, Camp 4, Wawona, Hodgdon Meadow, Crane Flat and Tuolumne Meadows. A June 11, 2025 Yosemite release said opening all park campgrounds would mark the first time since 2019 that all 13 park campgrounds were operating, adding about 500 campsites. That release also said several Tioga Road campgrounds had shifted to rolling reservation windows released two weeks in advance on Recreation.gov. (nps.gov) ### Do visitors still need a timed entry reservation in 2026? Yosemite’s permits and reservations page says a reservation is not required to enter the park in 2026. The page, last updated on February 18, says visitors still need lodging or campground reservations if they plan to stay overnight. Sierra News Online reported in February that Yosemite had dropped timed vehicle-entry reservations for 2026 after using entry controls in prior peak seasons. (nps.gov) The park’s official reservations page now reflects that change. ### What else is reopening for summer visitors? Tioga Road was scheduled to open to vehicle traffic on May 15, the earliest opening in 16 years, Yosemite said in its May 13 release. (nps.gov) Glacier Point Road opened to vehicles on May 9, and the park said a section of the Valley Loop Trail near Royal Arches and several climbing routes that had been closed for safety monitoring are also reopening. (sierranewsonline.com) The Ice Cut section of the John Muir Trail is expected to reopen in July after safety and trail improvements, according to the same release. Yosemite also said most High Sierra Camps are returning to operation, expanding summer access beyond the front-country campgrounds. ### What did Yosemite officials say about summer crowding? (nps.gov) Superintendent Ray McPadden said in the May 13 release that Yosemite is “excited to welcome visitors to more areas of the park this summer” and urged people to plan ahead. The park said visitors should expect traffic on weekends, especially on Saturday mornings, and said parking in Yosemite Valley fills early on peak summer days. (nps.gov) Park officials encouraged visitors to buy digital park passes in advance, arrive early or later in the day, visit midweek and explore areas beyond Yosemite Valley. Yosemite said digital passes purchased ahead of time can reduce time spent at entrance stations. ### What other California options are being highlighted? (nps.gov) California Governor Gavin Newsom announced on April 22 a plan to create three new state parks in the Central Valley under an initiative called State Parks Forward. The governor’s office said the plan would raise the statewide total to 283 parks and expand existing parks by 30,000 acres by the end of the decade. (nps.gov) State parks officials said planning and acquisition work for the three new parks began on Earth Day 2026. Sierra News Online also pointed visitors to Lassen Volcanic National Park as another option for summer travel in California. ### What should visitors watch next before they go? May 15 was the scheduled opening date for Tioga Road and the start of Half Dome day-hike access when the cables are up, Yosemite said. (gov.ca.gov) The park said Half Dome daily lottery applications opened on May 13 and are available two days before the intended hiking date through Recreation.gov. (parks.ca.gov) Recreation.gov and Yosemite’s conditions pages are the next checkpoints for travelers because campground availability, road access and permit windows can change as summer operations ramp up. Yosemite’s reservations page and campground pages remain the park’s booking and planning hubs for overnight stays. (nps.gov 1) (nps.gov 2)