Yosemite opens all front-country campgrounds for reservations after timed-entry rule dropped

Yosemite National Park said visitors heading into the 2026 summer season will be able to book every front-country campground through Recreation.gov, while the park continues without a timed vehicle-entry system. The park’s camping pages say Yosemite has 13 popular campgrounds, all on reservations from April through October, and its broader campground page says reservations are required for all campgrounds during that period. (nps.gov 1) (nps.gov 2) Tioga Road, the Highway 120 route across the park, is scheduled to open to all traffic on Friday, May 15, at 8 a.m., according to the National Park Service. Yosemite Hospitality, the park’s lodging operator, also says its 2026 High Sierra Camp lottery has closed and that general availability will open in spring 2026. ### If there is no timed-entry system, what do visitors need to reserve? A February 18, 2026 Yosemite news release said the park “will no longer use a timed reservation system in 2026” after reviewing 2025 traffic, parking availability and visitor-use data. The park said a reservation is not required to enter Yosemite in 2026, though entrance fees still apply. Campground reservations are still separate. Yosemite’s campground pages say all 13 popular campgrounds operate on reservations from April through October, and the park advises visitors to book as early as possible because sites usually fill from around April through September. (nps.gov) ### Which Yosemite campgrounds are being booked this summer? Yosemite’s reservation page lists Upper Pines, Lower Pines, North Pines, Wawona and Hodgdon Meadow among campgrounds released five months in advance, with Upper Pines open year-round. The same page says Bridalveil Creek, Crane Flat, Tamarack Flat, White Wolf, Yosemite Creek and Porcupine Flat are released on a rolling window two weeks before arrival, and Camp 4 is released one week in advance. (nps.gov) The park’s campground page says first-come, first-served camping is not available from late May through October. That means summer visitors should expect reservations to be the main way to secure a campsite in the park’s front-country areas. (nps.gov) ### When does Tioga Road reopen, and why does that matter for camping? The National Park Service said on May 13 that Tioga Road will open for the season to all traffic on Friday, May 15, at 8 a.m. The road is the continuation of Highway 120 through Yosemite and is the main east-west route across the park’s high country. (nps.gov) The same update said only limited services will be available along Tioga Road at opening. Vault and portable toilets will be available, but no drinking water or other services, the park said, and visitors were told to bring their own food and water. (nps.gov) ### What is Yosemite saying about congestion without reservations? Superintendent Ray McPadden said in the February release that Yosemite would use “active traffic management strategies” rather than a season-wide reservation requirement. The park said those steps include real-time traffic monitoring, parking management in Yosemite Valley, additional staffing at key intersections, road-condition alerts and guidance that encourages weekday visits and trips outside Yosemite Valley. (nps.gov) Yosemite’s visitor-planning page gives a similar warning in plainer terms: “Pack your patience,” because millions of people visit from April through October. (nps.gov) The park recommends arriving before 9 a.m. or after 5 p.m. from spring through fall to reduce delays. ### Are the High Sierra Camps back too? Yosemite Hospitality’s High Sierra Camps page says the 2026 lottery has closed and guests are being contacted, with general availability to follow in spring 2026. The operator’s page describes the standard loop as beginning at Tuolumne Meadows Lodge and serving Glen Aulin, May Lake and Sunrise, while still listing Merced Lake and Vogelsang among camp locations. (nps.gov) The National Park Service’s current conditions page directs visitors to Yosemite Hospitality for lodging information, including High Sierra Camps, and says reservations are available up to 366 days in advance. (nps.gov) Friday, May 15, is the next key date for visitors: Tioga Road is due to open at 8 a.m., and campground reservations continue to be released through Yosemite’s listed windows on Recreation.gov. (nps.gov) (nps.gov) (travelyosemite.com)