Yosemite entry shifting
Yosemite is at an “inflection point” this spring — park managers adjusted permits and quotas that make the main entrance easier to access than in recent years. Popular trails and campgrounds, however, still require careful planning and reservations, so visitors are being urged to secure bookings and review the new permit rules now. (el-balad.com)
The National Park Service confirmed Yosemite will not use a timed vehicle reservation system for the 2026 season, a decision posted on the park website and updated Feb. 18, 2026. (nps.gov) A standard private-vehicle entrance pass is listed at $35 for seven consecutive days, the park does not accept cash at entrance stations, and non‑U.S. residents 16 and older face a new $100 per‑person surcharge unless covered by an annual pass. (nps.gov) Thirteen popular Yosemite campgrounds remain on a reservation system from April through October, and campsites for valley campgrounds typically open five months in advance on the 15th of each month at 7:00 a.m. Pacific Time. (nps.gov) (recreation.gov) Half Dome permits are still tightly controlled: the cables are normally installed the Friday before the last Monday in May and removed after the second Monday in October, a daily cap of 300 hikers is enforced, and day‑hiker permits are distributed via a preseason Recreation.gov lottery (March 1–31) plus daily lotteries during the season. (nps.gov) North Pines Campground reservations for 2026 will be allocated via an early‑access lottery, a shift NPS flagged for several Valley campgrounds to manage high demand. (nps.gov) Yosemite’s management says it will replace a season‑wide reservation mandate with targeted operations — real‑time traffic monitoring, active parking control, extra staffing at key intersections and expanded congestion alerts — while several park roads (Tioga Road, Glacier Point Road and Mariposa Grove Road) remain closed for the season due to snow. (nps.gov)
