Yosemite sees 90-minute entry lines

Yosemite National Park entered Memorial Day weekend without a timed-entry reservation system, and visitors this week reported long lines at the gates, full parking lots and crowded trails. CBS Sacramento and AOL reported on May 22 that some drivers faced waits of up to 90 minutes to get in after the reservation requirement ended. The congestion came as Yosemite heads into its busiest stretch of the year, when most of its annual visitors arrive. The National Park Service said in February that it would rely instead on real-time traffic management, added staffing and temporary diversions when lots fill. ### Why did Yosemite stop requiring timed entry in the first place? Yosemite National Park said on February 18 that it would no longer use a timed reservation system in 2026. Superintendent Ray McPadden said the decision followed a review of 2025 traffic patterns, parking availability and visitor use, which found that most weekdays stayed within the park’s operating capacity. (cbsnews.com) Ray McPadden said Yosemite would keep using “active traffic management strategies” rather than a season-long reservation rule. The park said those steps would include real-time monitoring, active parking management in Yosemite Valley, more staffing at key intersections, road-condition alerts and guidance steering visitors toward weekdays and destinations outside Yosemite Valley. (nps.gov) ### How busy is Yosemite during the months ahead? Yosemite recorded nearly 4.3 million visits in 2025, according to CBS Sacramento, making it one of the most-visited national parks in the country. The park’s own visitation page says nearly 75% of visitors come during the six-month span from May through October. The National Park Service’s monthly averages show why summer access rules matter in Yosemite. (nps.gov) July averages about 624,559 visits, August about 607,000 and June about 526,209, according to the park’s visitation statistics page. ### What are visitors seeing now that reservations are gone? CBS Sacramento reported on May 22 that Yosemite visitors were still arriving in large numbers after the reservation system ended. (cbsnews.com) AOL reported that recent weekends brought 90-minute entry lines, overflowing parking lots and “gridlock traffic” in Yosemite Valley, along with human traffic jams on trails. (nps.gov) A National Park Service release issued the same day Yosemite announced the change said the park could use short-term traffic controls when roads or parking areas hit capacity. That means the park did not promise open-flow access at all times; it said it would shift to on-the-ground controls when congestion builds. (cbsnews.com) ### Does no reservation mean no planning is needed? The National Park Service says a reservation is not required to enter Yosemite in 2026, but the park entrance fee still applies. The park also says visitors should still make reservations for lodging, camping and backpacking where those are needed, and should check current conditions before leaving. Yosemite’s February announcement urged visitors to plan early for weekends and holiday periods, consider weekday trips and look beyond Yosemite Valley to places such as Tuolumne Meadows, Wawona and Hetch Hetchy. (nps.gov) The park said those steps are intended to reduce pressure on the valley floor, where parking fills fastest. ### What should visitors watch for next? (nps.gov) Memorial Day weekend is the next immediate test of Yosemite’s 2026 access plan. The National Park Service says visitors should use the park website for real-time conditions, seasonal updates and trip-planning tools, and should expect temporary traffic diversions when parking areas reach capacity. (nps.gov)