Yosemite Makes Big Change to Park Visit Rules for Peak Season

Yosemite National Park announced Tuesday that no reservations will be required to visit the park next summer.

The park had required reservations over the past three years in an effort to control the number of visitors due to the pandemic and ongoing infrastructure repairs.

Reservations will not be required to visit Yosemite National Park during summer of 2023. Reservations were required in the summers of 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic and in summer 2022 when numerous key visitor attractions were closed for critical infrastructure repairs. 1/3

— Yosemite National Park (@YosemiteNPS) November 15, 2022

Yosemite, one of the nation’s best-loved and most-visited national parks, has long struggled with trying to remain open to as many visitors as possible, which sometimes leads to bumper-to-bumper traffic on Yosemite Valley roadways and a less-than-ideal nature experience.

Yosemite has been grappling with congestion—even gridlock—for decades. We want to build from the lessons learned from the last three summer of managed access.   2/3

— Yosemite National Park (@YosemiteNPS) November 15, 2022

Managing access continues to be a concern, and the park is planning an announcement in December in connection with seeking the public’s input on designing “an approach that provides a great visitor experience while protecting Yosemite’s natural and cultural resources.”

Look for an announcement in December, when we’ll start seeking your help to design an approach that provides a great visitor experience while protecting Yosemite’s natural and cultural resources. 3/3

— Yosemite National Park (@YosemiteNPS) November 15, 2022