Yosemite Drops Reservation Requirements
Yosemite National Park will no longer require vehicle reservations for 2026, making spontaneous backpacking trips and adventures much easier to plan. Two other popular national parks have also dropped their reservation systems, representing a major policy shift to balance surging demand with visitor experience.
- The two other parks that have removed their general entry reservation systems for the summer of 2026 are Arches National Park in Utah and Glacier National Park in Montana. - Yosemite first introduced a reservation system in 2020 to manage traffic congestion and environmental strain after annual attendance surpassed 4 million visitors, at one point reaching over 5 million. - The timed entry systems were part of pilot programs intended to curb overtourism; Arches National Park, for instance, often had to temporarily close its gates due to full parking lots before implementing reservations. - Conservation groups like the National Parks Conservation Association have criticized the decision, expressing concern that it will lead to a return of traffic jams and overcrowding, worsening the visitor experience. - In place of a park-wide vehicle reservation system, Glacier National Park will pilot alternative congestion management tools, including a ticketed shuttle service and a three-hour parking limit at the highly visited Logan Pass. - The Department of the Interior stated the policy shift is intended to keep national parks "open and accessible," using targeted measures only when necessary to protect visitor safety and preserve the parks. - Even with a reservation system in place, Yosemite was the sixth-most-visited U.S. national park in 2024, receiving approximately 4.1 million visitors. - Other national parks, such as Zion National Park for its popular Angels Landing trail and Rocky Mountain National Park during peak seasons, will continue to use reservation or lottery systems for specific areas or times.
