Yosemite drops day permits

Yosemite National Park has dropped its vehicle reservation requirement for 2026 and will let drivers enter without timed permits. (nps.gov) The park announced the change on February 18, 2026, after reviewing traffic, parking and visitor-use data from 2025. Yosemite said most weekdays stayed within parking capacity and kept traffic flow stable. (nps.gov) In 2025, reservations had applied to entry between 6 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Memorial Day weekend, every day from June 15 through August 15, and Labor Day weekend. In 2026, the National Park Service said Yosemite also will skip advance reservations during the February-March firefall period. (nps.gov 1) (nps.gov 2) Yosemite is making the switch after one of its busiest years on record. National Park Service data released in 2026 show more than 4.2 million visits in 2025, and outside analyses of those figures identified 2025 as Yosemite’s fourth-busiest year. (nps.gov) (outsideonline.com) The reservation system was one tool in a longer visitor-access debate inside Yosemite. The park’s ongoing Visitor Access Management Plan says it is trying to reduce overcrowding, traffic jams, entrance waits, unsafe roadside parking and delays for emergency response. (nps.gov) Park officials said they will replace timed entry with real-time traffic monitoring, active parking management in Yosemite Valley, more staff at key intersections and stronger congestion alerts. Superintendent Ray McPadden said the park wants “targeted management” on the busiest days instead of a season-long rule. (nps.gov) The broader National Park Service also said Yosemite, Arches and Glacier will not use timed entry in 2026, while Rocky Mountain National Park will keep its system through late May to mid-October. The agency said parks without reservations may still use short-term traffic controls when roads or parking lots fill up. (nps.gov) Visitors still have to pay the entrance fee in 2026, and Yosemite is still urging people to reserve lodging, campsites and backpacking trips ahead of time. The park’s trip-planning page tells drivers to arrive before 9 a.m. or after 5 p.m. from spring through fall to avoid the worst congestion. (nps.gov) The permit is gone, but Yosemite is still warning people to expect crowds. Its message for 2026 is simpler than last summer’s rules: no reservation at the gate, and plenty of reasons to plan like one is still needed. (nps.gov)