Yosemite front-country campgrounds reopen

Yosemite National Park said on May 13 that all front-country campgrounds will be open for the summer 2026 season and available for reservation through Recreation.gov. The National Park Service announcement also said Glacier Point Road opened to vehicles on May 9 and Tioga Road was scheduled to open on May 15 at 8 a.m., restoring access to high-country areas ahead of the peak summer period. Superintendent Ray McPadden said in the release that Yosemite was expanding access while protecting park resources. The park also said several trails, climbing routes and seasonal services were returning as visitor traffic builds toward summer. ### Which campgrounds are reopening, and how are reservations being handled? Yosemite said all front-country campgrounds will be open this summer, a change the park described as part of a broader seasonal reopening plan. The announcement did not frame the move as a single new campground opening; instead, it said the full front-country campground inventory would be available for visitors during the summer season. (nps.gov) Recreation.gov lists Yosemite camping inventory and shows multiple reservable campgrounds, including North Pines, Upper Pines, Lower Pines, Camp 4, Hodgdon Meadow, Crane Flat, Wawona, White Wolf, Porcupine Flat, Bridalveil Creek and Tuolumne Meadows. The federal booking site says Yosemite campsites are highly competitive and, for some campgrounds, reservations open on rolling schedules months in advance. (nps.gov) North Pines Campground uses a one-time early access lottery for the 2026 season, Recreation.gov says. The site says any remaining availability would be released under normal on-sale dates beginning Feb. 15, and that, outside the lottery, campsites are typically released up to five months in advance on the 15th of each month at 7 a.m. Pacific time. ### Do visitors still need a separate entrance reservation to drive into Yosemite? (recreation.gov) Yosemite's permits and reservations page says an entrance reservation is not required to enter the park in 2026. The National Park Service page distinguishes that from overnight stays, saying visitors still need lodging or campground reservations if they plan to spend the night where required. The park's camping page says reservations are required for all campgrounds from about April through October and warns that sites are usually full from around April through September. (recreation.gov) Yosemite also says first-come, first-served camping is not available from late May through October, though some campgrounds may release reservations two weeks in advance from around July to mid-October. ### What else is reopening with the campgrounds? (nps.gov) Tioga Road, the trans-Sierra route through Yosemite, was scheduled to open to vehicle traffic on May 15, and the park called it the earliest opening in 16 years. Yosemite said the road gives visitors access to Tuolumne Meadows and other high-country areas. Glacier Point Road opened May 9, according to the same park release. (nps.gov) Yosemite also said a section of the Valley Loop Trail near Royal Arches and several climbing routes that had been closed for safety monitoring were reopening, while the Ice Cut section of the John Muir Trail was expected to reopen in July after safety and trail improvements. (nps.gov) Half Dome's cables route was set to open May 15, Yosemite said. The park said daily lottery permits opened on May 13 and that applications for the daily lottery are accepted two days before the desired hiking date. Overnight wilderness trips still require wilderness permits reserved in advance on Recreation.gov, the park said. (nps.gov) ### What are park officials telling visitors to do now? Ray McPadden, Yosemite's superintendent, said visitors should plan ahead for a safe and manageable trip as more of the park opens for summer. The park said weekend traffic, especially on Saturday mornings, should be expected. Yosemite urged visitors to buy digital site passes in advance on Recreation.gov, arrive early or later in the day, and consider midweek trips or destinations outside Yosemite Valley to reduce congestion. (nps.gov) The park also said parking in Yosemite Valley fills early on peak summer days and that services may be limited in some areas. May 15 was the next major operating milestone in Yosemite's summer rollout, with Tioga Road and the Half Dome cables route both scheduled to open that day, according to the National Park Service. Campground reservations and current conditions are posted through Yosemite's official park pages and Recreation.gov. (nps.gov)