Yosemite, CA—Yosemite National Park recorded 654,356 recreation visits in July, an increase of 6.1% from the 616,551 visits recorded in July 2025, when a peak-hours reservation system was in place.
The park has recorded 2,657,602 recreation visits so far in 2026, an 8% increase from the 2,460,675 visits recorded during the same period last year. Park officials said much of the increase this summer has occurred on Thursdays and Fridays, when parking remains readily available. Despite the increase in visitation, Yosemite officials said traffic conditions have improved significantly compared with previous years. The park has experienced only two days of significant traffic delays in 2026, compared with more than 120 days of gridlock in previous years. One-way traffic patterns and proactive traffic management have helped keep traffic moving through Yosemite Valley, including on weekends.
Parking is generally available Sunday through Friday throughout the park. On summer Saturdays and holidays, parking in Yosemite Valley typically fills between 10 and 11 a.m., although parking remains available in other areas of the park. Officials said parking throughout Yosemite has not reached full capacity on any day this year. Entrance lines also have been shorter than in previous years. Waits are under 15 minutes most of the time, while Saturday morning waits average about 30 minutes and have reached a maximum of about one hour. Those waits are significantly shorter than the three-hour or longer entrance lines experienced in previous years.
Most visitors are also able to board the first shuttle that arrives at Yosemite Valley stops, although longer waits can occur throughout the day and on Saturdays.
