Yosemite drops timed vehicle reservations 2026

Yosemite National Park said on February 18 that visitors will not need a timed vehicle reservation to enter the park in 2026, ending a system the park had used in recent peak periods while it studied crowding and traffic. The National Park Service said the decision followed an evaluation of traffic patterns, parking availability and visitor use during the 2025 season. The park said the entrance fee still applies in 2026, but no advance vehicle reservation is required. (nps.gov) The 2026 decision marks a change from 2025, when Yosemite required reservations for drivers entering between 6 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Memorial Day weekend, daily from June 15 through August 15, and Labor Day weekend. (nps.gov) The 2025 system was part of a pilot as the park continued work on a longer-term visitor access management plan. ### Why did Yosemite say it could drop the reservation system? Yosemite said its 2025 review found that most weekdays had available parking, stable traffic flow and visitation levels within the park’s operating capacity. The park said those findings showed that a season-long reservation requirement was not the most effective approach for 2026. (nps.gov) Ray McPadden, Yosemite’s superintendent, said in the February 18 announcement that the park would continue “active traffic management strategies” to protect visitor access, safety and park resources. The park did not say it was abandoning crowd controls altogether; it said it would rely on on-the-ground management instead of advance timed entry. (nps.gov) ### What replaces reservations when summer traffic builds? The National Park Service said Yosemite will use real-time traffic measures in 2026, including temporary traffic diversions when parking areas fill and added seasonal staff in high-use areas. The agency said those steps would apply during peak summer months and during the February-March firefall period, when the park has also faced heavy demand. (nps.gov) The park’s reservations page says visitors should still plan ahead even without timed entry because parking can fill and delays can build at entrance stations and inside Yosemite Valley. (nps.gov) The service also continues to recommend reservations for lodging, camping and backpacking. ### What did the 2025 pilot actually cover? The 2025 rules required a reservation only during defined daytime windows, not for every hour of every day. Visitors with in-park lodging, campground bookings, wilderness permits or certain other permits generally did not need a separate vehicle reservation for those dates, according to the park’s reservation guidance. (nps.gov) The broader visitor access planning process goes beyond one summer. Yosemite’s draft Visitor Access Management Plan says the park has been studying tools to reduce overcrowding and traffic congestion while protecting resources and maintaining access. The agency said earlier pilots in 2024 and 2025 were intended to supply data for that longer process. (nps.gov) ### Will visitors still face crowding in 2026? May 13 brought a separate Yosemite announcement that the park is heading into summer with expanded access, including reopened trails, climbing areas and full front-country campground availability. The park said all Yosemite front-country campgrounds will be open this summer and available through Recreation.gov. (nps.gov) That broader reopening could draw more visitors even without a reservation requirement. Yosemite’s own visitor pages say a reservation is not required to enter in 2026, but they also urge travelers to expect busy conditions and to secure overnight bookings in advance if they plan to stay. (nps.gov) ### What should visitors check before they go? Yosemite’s official planning pages say the park entrance fee remains in effect in 2026 and that current conditions, closures and reservation details are posted on NPS.gov. The campground system is run through Recreation.gov, while road and seasonal opening updates appear on Yosemite’s conditions and campgrounds pages. (nps.gov) May 15 is the scheduled 8 a.m. reopening time listed for Tioga Road on Yosemite’s campgrounds page, and the park said on May 13 that summer access is expanding across trails, campgrounds and high-country areas. Those updates, along with any traffic controls used on busy days, are being posted by Yosemite National Park and the National Park Service. (nps.gov 1) (nps.gov 2)