YARTS opens summer reservations

Yosemite transit is the story here — not just a bus schedule update. YARTS opened summer 2026 reservations this week, which matters because Yosemite is heading into its busiest months without a timed-entry system for private cars. That means getting into the park may be simpler on paper, but the tradeoff is more congestion at the gate and more competition for parking. YARTS is basically pitching itself as the workaround. (abc30.com) ### What changed this week? YARTS started taking summer reservations online on May 5 for trips into Yosemite National Park. The service connects gateway communities like Merced, Fresno, Mammoth Lakes, and Sonora to the park, so this is the point when summer visitors can actually start locking in seats instead of hoping space is available later. (abc30.com)matter more this year? Because Yosemite is not requiring advance vehicle reservations in 2026. The park made that call after reviewing 2025 traffic and parking patterns and deciding a season-long reservation system was not the best fit this year. But removing that gatekeeping step does not remove crowding — it just shifts the pressure to roads, entrance lines, and parking lots on busy days. (nps.gov) ### So is YARTS replacing the old reservation system? No — and that distinction matters. A YARTS ticket is a transit reservation, not a permit for your own car. If you ride the bus, you skip the whole private-vehicle parking scramble. But a YARTS reservation does not somehow authorize a separate personal vehicle entry. It is a different lane entirely: leave the car outside the park and ride in. (yarts.com) ### When does summer service actually run? On the key Highway 140 corridor, YARTS lists summer 2026 operations from May 22 through September 30. That route runs from Merced through Mariposa and El Portal into Yosemite Valley, and it is one of the main ways visitors use the system for day trips. Other corridors are part of the wider YARTS network too, but the big practical point is that summer ser(yarts.com). (yarts.com) ### Can you just show up and buy a seat? Sometimes, but that is the gamble. YARTS says walk-ons are welcome only as space permits, and reservations are available in limited quantities. The system also adds small booking fees — $0.50 per ticket for online reservations and a $1 surcharge for walk-on service or reservations at checkout on some route pages. So the message is pretty clear: if you know your date, book early. (yarts.com) ### Why is the park still warning people about traffic? Because no-reservation entry is not the same as no-delay entry. Yosemite is telling visitors to expect heavy use from April through October and to arrive before 9 a.m. or after 5 p.m. to avoid peak congestion. The park also says it may use real-time traffic management and temporary diversions when parking fills up. Basically, access is (yarts.com)d days. (nps.gov) ### Who is this best for? Day-trippers, first-time visitors, and anyone who hates the idea of circling Yosemite Valley for parking. YARTS also works for people stitching together a car-light trip, since it connects with other transport services outside the park. The catch is that you are now planning around a bus timetable instead of your own car keys — but in a packed Yosemite summer, that can be the less stressful trade. (yarts.com) ### Bottom line The real news is simple: Yosemite made car entry easier for 2026, and that may make getting around harder once you arrive. YARTS reservations are now open because the bus has become one of the cleanest ways to dodge that problem before summer crowds fully hit. (abc30.com)