The beauty attracts people from all over the world. Maybe too many people. Photo: Evan Quarnstrom
If you were thinking about embarking on a spur-of-the-moment mountain getaway to Yosemite next summer, you might need to reconsider your plans. Yosemite National Park is reinstating a reservation system in 2024 to manage the millions of visitors that flock to the scenic California park.
Visitors will have to reserve an entry pass online in advance if they want to visit during certain windows. Reservations will be required if entering between 5 a.m. and 4 p.m. on weekends and holidays during the shoulder season (April 13 – June 30 and August 17 – October 27) and every day during peak season (July 1 – August 16).
Reservations will also be required in February for the last three weekends and Presidents’ Day due to the popular “firefall” event that causes an influx in visitors. Entry passes for February are currently available to be reserved for $2 online (in addition to the existing $35 car entrance fee). Reservations for the rest of 2024 will be available starting January 5 at 8 a.m.
“This summer’s pilot system is built from extensive public feedback, data from three years of pilot reservation systems here in Yosemite, and lessons learned from other national parks,” Yosemite National Park Superintendent Cicely Muldoon said in a statement. “This pilot system will inform how we ensure an equitable and outstanding visitor experience while protecting Yosemite’s world-class resources.”
Not everyone will be celebrating the news of limiting access to the park. During the previous periods of limited park access, some local businesses complained about the loss of revenue. In 2021, Douglas Shaw, co-owner of Yosemite Bug Rustic Mountain Resort, wrote an open letter to Yosemite National Park to shed light on how the restrictions had harmed his business.
Overcrowding has long been an issue in Yosemite. Any visitor who has tried to drive into the park on a weekend during the summer can attest to the miles of cars that backup at all of the park’s entry points. Yosemite’s visitation peaked in 2016 as more than five million people entered the park.
After closing in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, when the park reopened it implemented a reservation system to limit crowds. The reservation system persisted until 2022 throughout the course of several closures and openings. In 2023 reservations for entry were not required.
Those who already have campsite reservations, wilderness permits, a Half Dome permit, in-park lodging, or enter on commercial tours will not be required to obtain additional entry reservations.
