No Yosemite Entrance Reservations Needed This Summer

NPS Image

Yosemite, CA – Visitors to Yosemite National Park this summer will not need to bother with getting a reservation.

Today, the park announced that reservations will not be required to enter the park during the summer of 2023. The COVID pandemic forced a reservation system to be implement in the summers of 2020-21. In 2022, it was not the pandemic but numerous key visitor attractions being closed for critical infrastructure repairs that caused the park to use a peak hour reservation system, as earlier reported here.

Noting that the park has been dealing with congestion from these construction projects and gridlock for decades, Park officials teased, “We want to build from the lessons learned from the last three summers of managed access. 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.”

The reservations system has sparked controversy, as many nearby communities depend on tourism and were concerned that limiting visitors would hurt the economy. As earlier reported here, Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors sent park officials a letter stating just that. You can read the resolution by clicking here.