Yosemite entry rules
- Yosemite National Park requires a $35 vehicle pass that’s valid for seven days for visitors. - Peak‑season entry reservations are mandatory from May through October via Recreation.gov. - The reservation requirement aims to reduce congestion during busy months and was highlighted in a recent Yosemite guide. (ad-hoc-news.de)
Yosemite is not requiring timed entry reservations in 2026, reversing the peak-hours system the park used in parts of 2024 and 2025. (nps.gov) Visitors still have to pay an entrance fee: $35 for a private vehicle, valid for seven consecutive days, or $20 per person on foot, bicycle, or motorcycle. Yosemite also honors annual and America the Beautiful passes. (nps.gov) The National Park Service said the 2026 change followed a review of 2025 traffic patterns, parking availability, and visitor use. The agency said it will keep using traffic and parking management during busy periods instead of a timed reservation system. (nps.gov) That marks a shift from 2025, when drivers entering between 6 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Memorial Day weekend, from June 15 through August 15, and on Labor Day weekend were likely to need a peak-hours reservation. Those reservations were sold through Recreation.gov. (nps.gov) Yosemite began using reservation systems during the pandemic era and kept testing versions of them as crowd-control tools after long entrance lines and full parking lots became routine in peak season. The park used another version in 2024, when some drivers needed reservations from April 13 through October 27. (myyosemitepark.com) (nps.gov) The no-reservation rule does not mean every part of a Yosemite trip is first come, first served. Campgrounds, wilderness permits, Half Dome permits, and some guided activities still run through Recreation.gov and often book months ahead. (recreation.gov) North Pines Campground, one of the park’s most sought-after campgrounds, is using a one-time early access lottery for the 2026 season. That is separate from park entry and only covers camping reservations. (recreation.gov) The practical rule for 2026 is simpler than the version circulating in older guides: pay the entrance fee, but do not expect a timed entry booking unless Yosemite announces a new system later. As of April 19, 2026, the park’s official reservation page says timed entry is not in effect this year. (nps.gov)
