Final Days To Comment On Yosemite Visitor Access Management Plan

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Yosemite, CA — Yosemite National Park may look to cap attendance, especially during peak times, as part of a new Visitor Access Management Plan.

A public comment period opened on July 6 and it will close on September 6. Partly in response to packed parking lots this summer, the National Park Service is considering a variety of potential strategies. It could include requiring reservations during peak times (like summer), implementing a parking lot reservation system (such as Yosemite Falls lot), daily reservations being needed for events like Horsetail Falls, or timed entry permits (must arrive between 8 am – noon or noon – 4 pm).

In a recent virtual meeting, Yosemite Superintendent Cicely Muldoon stated, “Congestion is of course a decades-long issue here in Yosemite that has really grown worse over the years. If you have visited this summer, it is a glaring example of what it can be like. This planning effort is designed to find some lasting solutions.”

Many gateway communities, and businesses, however, have voiced concerns about the potential negative economic impacts of capping attendance.

You can review the park proposals, and find information about submitting comments, by clicking here.