Yosemite reservations will begin Saturday — here’s how they work

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Hope to visit Yosemite this year? Starting this Saturday, you’ll need a reservation to drive into the park.

Joining Rocky Mountain, Arches, Muir Woods and a growing number of other national parks, Yosemite National Park will require day-use reservations for the next six months. It’s part of a test program aimed at limiting the large crowds that led to traffic jams as long as three hours last summer, and which have plagued the scenic Sierra Nevada destination for decades on busy weekends.

The idea is popular with environmental groups, but opposed by businesses in the surrounding communities.

Here are the basics:

Q: Why are Yosemite officials doing this?

A: Last year, 325 million people visited America’s national parks. During weekends and summer months, the most popular ones can receive huge crowds. Yosemite officials imposed a temporary reservation system in 2020 and 2021 to reduce crowd sizes during the COVID pandemic, and in 2022 because many of the park’s main roads and facilities were closed due to construction upgrades.

Last summer, there were no reservations required for day-use visitors. Traffic jams on summer weekends snarled roads for miles. People parked illegally in meadows. Bathrooms were overwhelmed. Parking lots were full, and visitors circled Yosemite Valley for hours. Parks officials drew up a pilot program for this year and said their goal is to make the trip to see Yosemite’s famed waterfalls, massive granite walls and scenic forests more enjoyable.

“We are hopeful that our test pilot for 2024 will prove fruitful in providing a great visitor experience and protecting these resources, which is what we try to do every day here,” said Yosemite Superintendent Cicely Muldoon during a public meeting on the plan in February.

Q: OK, how will it work?

A: From April 13 through June 30: A reservation is required to drive into the park from 5 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays (May 27 and June 19). A reservation is not required on other days.

July 1 through Aug. 16: A reservation is required to drive into the park every day from 5 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Aug. 17 through Oct. 27: A reservation is required from 5 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays (Sept. 2 and Oct. 14). A reservation is not required on other days.

There are two types of reservations: full day and half day, with arrival at noon or later. Each is valid for up to three consecutive days.

Q: How much does it cost?

A: The current park entrance fee is $35 per vehicle, regardless of how many people are in the vehicle. There is a $2 service fee added for the reservation.

Q: Where can I make a reservation?

A: Go to Recreation.gov.

If you don’t have computer access, you can call (877) 444-6777 to make a reservation.

Q: Are same-day reservations available? Can I wait at an entrance station and drive into the park if people with reservations don’t show up?

A: No. Reservations will not be available at the entrance stations, park officials say. You can check Recreation.gov before arriving at the park to see if any reservations have become available due to cancellation, but internet access can be spotty on the rural roads near Yosemite. It’s better to book ahead.

Q: What if I have booked a hotel or campsite inside the park?

A: Then you won’t need a reservation to drive your vehicle into the park.

You’ll still pay the $35-per-car entrance fee upon arrival (credit card only). But a reservation for in-park lodging or camping, a Half Dome permit, or a wilderness permit allows anyone to enter the park for the duration of their reservation or for three consecutive days, whichever is longer.

People who stay in hotels or vacation rentals outside the park will still need to make a vehicle reservation to enter.

Q: Are there any the tips to get around the rules?

A: You can visit Yosemite any time without a reservation if you show up very early or come late in the day. The park is open 24 hours a day. Vehicles arriving before 5 a.m. are not required to have reservations. Nor are vehicles arriving after 4 p.m.

But don’t arrive before 4 p.m. and plan to sit by the side of the road. Rangers say they will write tickets for motorists who do that.

Also, if you enter Yosemite via YARTS (Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System) buses, on a bicycle, on foot or on horseback, or if you visit the Hetch Hetchy reservoir portion of the park, you don’t need a reservation to enter the park. Park entrance fees still apply.

Also, the National Park Service began taking reservations for this summer on Jan. 5. But there are still plenty available. Additional reservations will be available seven days before the arrival date (for example, an arrival date of June 27 will have more reservations open June 20) starting at 8 a.m. Pacific time on Recreation.gov.

Q: Is this a permanent thing?

A: Unclear. The park is working on a “visitor access management plan” that will involve public hearings this summer. A draft plan is expected out next year, with more public hearings then. Park planners are looking at things like reconfiguring park entrances, setting up contactless entrance systems, expanding bicycle routes, parking lots and shuttle bus services.

Whether day-use reservations continue to be required may also depend on who wins the presidential election. The reservation system has been put in place by the Biden administration, and is supported by environmental groups. It is mostly opposed by business leaders in the nearby communities, and Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Modesto, whose district includes Yosemite. If Donald Trump wins the presidency, the reservation plan could well be scrapped.

Q: I have an annual or lifetime pass that gives me free entrance. Do I need a reservation to drive in during peak hours?

A: Yes. The annual and lifetime passes cover the park entrance fee. The $2 reservation fee still applies to day use reservations.

Q: Where can I get more information?

A: At Yosemite National Park’s website, at www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/reservations.htm

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