Yosemite summer RV visits increase 43%

Yosemite National Park entered the 2026 season without a timed vehicle reservation system after federal officials said the park’s 2025 traffic and parking data did not justify keeping it in place. The National Park Service announced the change on February 18, saying most weekdays in 2025 had available parking, stable traffic flow and visitation within operational capacity. (nps.gov) Since then, outside coverage has pointed to heavier summer crowds, including a reported 43% jump in summer RV visits and local television coverage describing bigger-than-expected congestion. (youtube.com) ### When did Yosemite drop reservations, and what exactly changed? (nps.gov) February 18 marked the policy shift, when Yosemite said it would “no longer use a timed reservation system in 2026.” The park tied that decision to a review of 2025 conditions and said a season-wide reservation requirement was not the most effective approach for this year. The National Park Service also framed the move as part of a broader Summer 2026 access plan for several high-visitation parks. In that announcement, the agency said Yosemite’s 2026 approach was intended to expand public access while still maintaining safety and responsible management during peak visitation. (nps.gov) ### Where does the 43% RV figure come from? Travel and Tour World reported that Yosemite posted a 43% increase in summer RV visits, describing it as the largest jump cited in its roundup of national park RV traffic changes. That figure has circulated widely in follow-on coverage, but the underlying dataset was not published in the official Yosemite press release announcing the reservation change. (nps.gov) National Park Service pages do show that Yosemite remains a major RV and camping destination, and the park’s campground guidance notes that RV and trailer limits vary by site because many spaces are back-in sites with limited turning radius. That means more RV arrivals can translate directly into tighter campground logistics and parking pressure, especially in peak periods. (nps.gov) ### What evidence is there that crowds actually increased? LiveNOW from FOX on June 1 said the new policy had brought more crowds into Yosemite than officials initially expected, citing reporting discussed on-air with SFGATE’s Ashley Harrell. The segment described the park as dealing with a larger influx after vehicle reservations ended. (youtube.com) Other recent coverage has pointed in the same direction. The National Park Service’s Yosemite year-to-date report showed 2026 data through April as preliminary, and outside reports citing park data said visitation was running ahead of last year before the main summer rush. (nps.gov) ### If there is no entrance reservation, what still requires planning? Yosemite’s official visitor pages say no reservation is required to enter the park in 2026, but the entrance fee still applies. The park also tells visitors to “pack your patience” from April through October, when millions of people visit. (youtube.com) Lodging, camping and backpacking still require advance reservations in many cases. Yosemite’s campground pages say campground reservations remain in place, including release schedules for sites such as Tuolumne Meadows, and RV travelers must still check site-length rules before arriving. ### What should visitors watch next? (irma.nps.gov) Yosemite’s official reservations and trip-planning pages are the next place to watch for any operational changes, traffic controls or seasonal alerts. The park’s current guidance for 2026 remains that no entrance reservation is required, while real-time conditions, campground availability and visitor alerts are posted on Yosemite’s National Park Service pages. (nps.gov 1) (nps.gov 2) (nps.gov 3)