Yosemite sees entrance delays, turnarounds

Yosemite National Park entered Memorial Day weekend with long entrance delays, backed-up roads and some drivers being turned away after parking filled in Yosemite Valley. The congestion built on Saturday, May 23, and continued into Sunday, May 24, as holiday traffic hit the park during its first season without a timed vehicle reservation system. The San Francisco Chronicle reported that rangers redirected vehicles at the Arch Rock Entrance and that some visitors described waits of about two hours. The National Park Service has separately warned that spring-through-fall weekends can bring extended delays, limited parking and traffic backups once valley lots fill. ### Why were visitors hitting such long waits this weekend? Yosemite National Park said in February that it would not require vehicle reservations in 2026 after reviewing 2025 traffic, parking and visitation patterns. Superintendent Ray McPadden said at the time that the park would rely instead on “active traffic management strategies,” including real-time traffic monitoring, parking management and added staffing at key intersections during peak periods. (sfchronicle.com) May 24 fell in the middle of Memorial Day weekend, one of the busiest travel periods of the year, and Yosemite’s own trip-planning pages warn that Saturdays and holiday weekends are “particularly busy.” The park says millions of people visit from April through October and advises drivers to arrive before peak hours or after 5 p.m. to reduce delays. ### Where did the backups build? The San Francisco Chronicle said traffic backed up Saturday morning at the Arch Rock Entrance on Highway 140 and at Tioga Road access points as parking pressure spread through the park. (nps.gov) The Chronicle also reported that some vehicles were told to turn around as roads and parking areas became overwhelmed. Arch Rock is one of Yosemite’s main entrances, and the park service says congestion there is common from spring through fall. (nps.gov) On its traffic page, Yosemite says waits at the Arch Rock Entrance can run about 30 minutes under typical busy conditions, while delays of one to two hours are common at the South Entrance during the same seasons. ### How early does Yosemite Valley fill up? Yosemite National Park says Yosemite Valley parking is “usually full” after 8 a.m. from spring through fall. (sfchronicle.com) The park warns that visitors arriving after 8 a.m. on weekends, especially Saturdays and holiday weekends, should be prepared for multiple delays and the possibility of not finding a place to park. It also says traffic in Yosemite Valley can back up for miles once lots fill. (nps.gov) The park gives similar guidance on its Yosemite Valley page, which says day visitors arriving by car should get there before 9 a.m., after which parking is usually full. Once drivers find a spot, the park advises them to leave the car parked because finding another space later may be difficult. ### What is Yosemite telling visitors to do instead? Yosemite National Park recommends arriving by 8 a.m., in the early afternoon or after 5 p.m. to avoid the worst entrance delays. (nps.gov) The park also urges visitors to use YARTS buses when possible, carry food and water in case of long waits, and consider destinations outside Yosemite Valley, including gateway communities and other areas of the park. (nps.gov) The park’s website says travelers can get traffic updates by texting “ynptraffic” to 333111 and can check current conditions online before leaving for the park. Yosemite’s calendar shows Memorial Day weekend programming continuing on Sunday, May 24, and the holiday weekend runs through Monday, May 25. (nps.gov)