Yosemite drops timed entry reservations

Yosemite National Park said on February 18 that visitors will not need timed vehicle-entry reservations in 2026, ending a system the park had used in recent years to manage peak-season traffic. The National Park Service said the change followed a review of 2025 traffic patterns, parking availability and visitor use. The park said most weekdays last season still had available parking and traffic conditions within operational capacity. Superintendent Ray McPadden said the park would rely instead on traffic monitoring, parking management and staffing at congestion points. ### So if there is no reservation, can anyone just drive in? Yosemite’s entrance-reservations page says no reservation is required to enter the park in 2026, but the entrance fee still applies. The park’s planning page says visitors should still make reservations for lodging, camping and backpacking if they plan to stay overnight or use those services. The National Park Service said the reservation system was dropped after a “comprehensive evaluation” of the 2025 season. (nps.gov) Park analysis found that most weekdays maintained available parking, stable traffic flow and visitation levels within the park’s operating capacity, according to the February 18 release. ### Why did Yosemite say it was ending the timed-entry system? (nps.gov) Ray McPadden, Yosemite’s superintendent, said the park’s data showed that “a season-wide reservation requirement is not the most effective approach for the coming season.” The park said it would broaden operating measures used in 2025 instead of requiring advance timed entry. Those measures include real-time traffic monitoring, active parking management in Yosemite Valley, added staffing at key intersections, road-condition alerts and congestion warnings, according to the park. (nps.gov) The release also said Yosemite would steer visitors toward weekday trips and destinations outside Yosemite Valley, including Tuolumne Meadows, Wawona and Hetch Hetchy. ### What are officials saying about lines and crowding now? Yosemite said on May 13 that visitors should expect traffic on weekends, especially on Saturday mornings. Park officials urged visitors to buy a Yosemite digital site pass in advance on Recreation.gov, buy a digital America the Beautiful pass if they visit multiple parks, visit midweek and arrive early in the morning or later in the afternoon. (nps.gov) The park’s visitor access management page says long waits at entrances are one of the issues Yosemite is trying to address as it studies longer-term access policies. That page says road and parking congestion can delay emergency response, create unsafe conditions and strain staffing and facilities. ### What changed in the park on May 15? Tioga Road opened to vehicle traffic on Friday, May 15, at 8 a.m., according to Yosemite alerts and a May 13 park release. (nps.gov) The park said the road’s opening was the earliest in 16 years and restores the trans-Sierra route that gives access to Tuolumne Meadows and the high country. Glacier Point Road opened to vehicles on May 9, the park said. (nps.gov) The May 13 release also said all front-country campgrounds will be open this summer, most High Sierra Camps are returning to operation, and some trails and climbing routes previously closed for safety monitoring are reopening. ### What about Half Dome — is that still controlled? (nps.gov) Half Dome still requires permits when the cables are up, even though Yosemite dropped timed entry for vehicles. The National Park Service says permits are required seven days a week for hikers going beyond the base of the subdome while the cables are in place. The park said on May 13 that hiking to the top of Half Dome would open May 15 and that daily lottery permits were opening that day. (nps.gov) Yosemite’s permit page says daily lottery applications are available two days in advance of the desired hiking date, while the preseason lottery ran in March. The park also caps use beyond the subdome at 300 hikers per day, including about 225 day hikers and 75 backpackers. (nps.gov) ### Where should visitors check before they go? Yosemite told visitors to check the park website for real-time conditions, seasonal updates and trip-planning tools. The park’s contact and planning pages also direct visitors to current alerts, road conditions and Recreation.gov for campground, wilderness and Half Dome permit information. Recreation.gov remains the place to buy digital passes and apply for Half Dome and wilderness permits, while Yosemite’s alerts page is carrying current road notices, including the May 15 Tioga Road opening. (nps.gov 1) (nps.gov 2)