Yosemite drops summer reservations

Yosemite National Park will not require advance vehicle reservations in 2026, ending the timed-entry system visitors used in recent summers. (nps.gov) The National Park Service announced the change on February 18, 2026, and said it followed a review of 2025 traffic patterns, parking availability and visitor use. Park officials said most weekdays last year had available parking, stable traffic flow and visitation within operational capacity. (nps.gov) In 2025, Yosemite required reservations only on some peak dates: Memorial Day weekend, every day from June 15 through August 15, and Labor Day weekend for drivers entering between 6 a.m. and 2 p.m. In 2026, that entry booking goes away, but the park entrance fee still applies. (nps.gov 1) (nps.gov 2) Yosemite is making the change as visitation remains heavy. National Park Service statistics show the park drew about 4.1 million recreation visits in 2024, and the agency says nearly 75 percent of visits come during May through October. (nps.gov 1) (nps.gov 2) The reservation system began in 2020 after record 2019 visitation and pandemic crowd controls, then returned in different forms in 2024 and 2025 after a pause in 2023. KQED reported the 2019 total at about 4.4 million visits, the park’s pre-pandemic high. (kqed.org) (irma.nps.gov) Park managers say they will rely instead on real-time traffic monitoring, active parking management in Yosemite Valley and more staffing at congestion points. The park is also telling visitors to arrive before 9 a.m. or after 5 p.m. from spring through fall to avoid the worst backups. (nps.gov 1) (nps.gov 2) Critics say the policy will bring back the gridlock the reservation system was designed to curb. The National Parks Conservation Association said dropping seasonal reservations will lead to hours-long traffic jams, strain on staff and damage to park resources. (npca.org) Gateway groups are already warning visitors to plan for bigger crowds. Eastern Sierra Now said increased visitation is expected, and Yosemite Conservancy told travelers there will be no day-use or peak-hours reservation system in 2026, including during the Horsetail Fall firefall period. (easternsierranow.com) (yosemite.org) What still requires booking has not changed: lodging, campgrounds, backpacking permits and Half Dome permits still need separate reservations when applicable. The summer trip to Yosemite is no longer gated by a car-entry slot, but it is still shaped by how early visitors arrive and what space is left when they do. (nps.gov) (nps.gov)