Yosemite National Park to reopen this week. Here’s what you’ll need to get in
Yosemite National Park will reopen to the general public Thursday — and reservations are now required for day-use visitors to get in, park officials announced Monday.
The park’s expansive backcountry reopened Friday, but only for those with existing wilderness or Half Dome permits. Yosemite closed in late March because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Day-use reservations will go on sale through recreation.gov starting at 7 a.m. Tuesday.
The park will initially reopen with about half its normal number of visitors, officials said.
“In the initial opening phase, the system will offer 1,700 vehicle passes each day,” park officials wrote in a news release Monday afternoon. “Passes are to be validated at the park entrance gate on the reservation date and can be used for seven days of entry.”
That number is the same as what officials presented to community members last month in a detailed proposed reopening plan.
A June 15 reopening date for Tioga Road was also announced. The High Sierra connects to the Eastern Sierra and passes through Tuolumne Meadows. Those who just want to drive through the park still have to get a day-use reservation, officials said.
What is open in Yosemite?
For lodging, The Ahwahnee hotel, Yosemite Valley Lodge, and Curry Village will reopen Saturday, said David Freireich, a corporate spokesperson for Aramark, the park’s concessionaire, which goes by Yosemite Hospitality in Yosemite.
Yosemite lodging and tour reservations were previously canceled through Wednesday.
Freireich said staffing will be at about 75% of what’s normal for summer operations.
Yosemite Hospitality has a list of reopening dates for its services, including restaurants and retail, at travelyosemite.com.
Yosemite day-use reservations required
Officials said the number of vehicles initially allowed in Yosemite would be capped at about 3,600 a day – 1,700 day use and 1,900 overnight vehicle spots.
Those with Yosemite lodging or camping reservations will not need to get a day-use reservation to get inside the park – including people staying at a vacation rental within the park boundaries, and those with wilderness and Half Dome permits.
The cost is included in the park entrance fee. Those with park entrance passes will be charged $2 for a day-use reservation. Same-day reservations can’t be purchased at park entrance stations.
Officials said 80% of day-use reservations for June and July will become available at 7 a.m. Tuesday.
The remaining 20% will be available two days ahead of a day-use reservation date. (For example, on July 1 at 7 a.m., day-use reservations for July 3 will be available).
For future months, 80% of day-use reservations will be available starting on the first day of that month. (For example, on July 1 at 7 a.m., day-use reservations for 80% of dates in August will be available).
This temporary day-use reservation system will be in effect at least until October, park officials said.
Canceled reservations become available immediately on recreation.gov. Each user can make one reservation per day.
Visitors must show proof of their reservation and a matching photo ID at the entrance station to get a vehicle permit. A day-use reservation is required for each vehicle, except for those with overnight reservations and Half Dome permits.
Credit cards are the only form of payment accepted for entrance fees.
Visitors entering via the local public transit system, Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System (YARTS) buses or with a tour from a local businesses with a commercial use authorization also do not require a day-use reservation to enter.
Day-use reservations are valid for seven days from the start date indicated on the reservation. Visitors must arrive on the start date. Reservations may be invalid if arriving after. Day-use reservations are valid from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. each day.
Entrance passes and day-use reservations can’t be transferred to another person.
“In this initial phase, the park’s target is to allow approximately 50% of the average June vehicle entry rate (which equates to 3,600 vehicle entries each day),” officials said. “The park will monitor conditions daily and will make adjustments as needed to maintain safe conditions for visitors.”
Yosemite National Park has additional details on its website, nps.gov/yose.
Few campgrounds open
The park will initially reopen with two campgrounds open for visitors with reservations: half of Upper Pines Campground in Yosemite Valley along with Wawona Horse Camp.
That’s different from proposed reopening plans shared last month, when officials said Upper Pines’ campsites were too clustered together to initially reopen.
No first-come, first-served campgrounds in Yosemite will initially reopen.
“Do not come to Yosemite without an overnight reservation if you are intending to stay overnight,” officials said. “Same-day reservations are also not available.”
Park officials said Camp 4 is closed due to the shared nature of campsites, which doesn’t allow for enough social distancing. All other campgrounds are closed due to lack of staffing.
Wawona Horse Camp requires that campers have a horse.
Day-use reservations are not valid for overnight use. Sleeping in a vehicle in Yosemite is allowed only in a campsite registered to you or another member of your group.
Backpackers campgrounds are not open to people arriving in the park by bus.
Existing wilderness permits are still valid. Those seeking a new wilderness permit for backpacking will now only be able to get them online.
Normally, 40% of wilderness permits were available on a first-come, first-served basis at park wilderness centers. Now, visitors can now apply online 15 days in advance of a desired start date, with the lottery running 14 days in advance. The last day to apply for a wilderness permit is nine days before a trip.
What else is closed, changed in park?
Some facilities and services will not be offered this year. Shuttle buses inside the park, High Sierra camps and Housekeeping Camp in Yosemite Valley will not open this year.
The park previously announced the historic Wawona Hotel will stay closed into 2021 for repairs.
Services in the Tuolumne Meadows area will be closed, including its store, grill, campgrounds, lodges, shuttle and High Sierra camps.
The Bridalveil Fall area in Yosemite Valley is closed due to scheduled maintenance work.
The Mist Trail, which runs alongside Vernal Fall, will be closed to downhill hiking from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily from the top of Vernal Fall to the John Muir Trail junction near the Vernal Fall footbridge.
Lower Yosemite Fall boulders (the area between the footbridge/viewing area and the waterfall) is closed.
The park’s visitor center services will be moved outdoors to provide information and education programs.
Hetch Hetchy Road will be open only from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
Chowchilla Mountain Road and Crane Flat Helibase are also closed.
Sierra counties’ plans, concerns
Yosemite officials said the day-use vehicle reservation system will no longer be used once the park resumes regular operations – addressing a concern voiced by some local tourism leaders.
Yosemite had been waiting for more input from the state before reopening. Community leaders in Mariposa, Madera, Mono and Tuolumne counties sent Gov. Gavin Newsom a second letter last week, requesting that their hotels and campgrounds be allowed to reopen to tourists in tandem with Yosemite’s reopening.
Newsom on Friday announced that campgrounds and hotels, among other businesses, could reopen as soon as Friday, June 12, for California counties that have secured approval to reopen faster than the rest of the state.
Kevin Cann, chairman of the Mariposa County Board of Supervisors and a former Yosemite deputy superintendent, said Monday that Yosemite’s four surrounding counties are also planning to reopen lodging and campgrounds to tourists.
Mariposa County is initially reopening its lodging at about half capacity because it’s requiring housekeeping staff to wait 24 hours after a visitor leaves a room to start cleaning it, to reduce a cleaner’s risk of catching COVID-19, Cann said.
Cann is a member of the Yosemite Gateway Area Coordination Team, made up of county officials in Mariposa, Madera, Mono and Tuolumne counties.
A number of other national parks, including Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks to the south, have already reopened.
This story was originally published June 8, 2020 at 12:23 PM.
