Yosemite peak-hour reservations start this week. Here’s how new entrance system works
Reservations will be needed to enter Yosemite National Park during peak hours starting Friday.
The peak-hour reservation system will be in effect from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m., May 20 through Sept. 30 due to many Yosemite construction projects and a temporary reduction in parking.
Peak-hour reservations can be purchased at recreation.gov for $2, required in addition to normal park entrance fees – including for those with annual passes and other special entrance passes.
Over half of the peak-hour reservations that went on sale in March were still available last month. The remaining 30% are being sold daily, seven days in advance of a desired entry.
Entrance reservations are not needed for those entering the popular park in California outside of peak hours. They also aren’t needed for visitors with lodging or camping reservations inside Yosemite, people with Yosemite wilderness or Half Dome permits, Hetch Hetchy visitors, those entering via Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System (YARTS) buses and permitted commercial tours, or residents of mountain communities near Yosemite who just want to drive through the park.
Others who just want to drive through Yosemite – such as travelers headed to the Eastern Sierra along currently-closed Tioga Road – will only be able to do so without a reservation if entering Yosemite outside the 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. window.
A reopening date for Tioga Road hasn’t been announced yet, but Yosemite leaders said last month that some facilities and services in the Tuolumne Meadows area along that road are scheduled to resume in July, depending on conditions.
There will be no first-come, first-served campgrounds open in Yosemite while the peak-hour reservation system is in effect. Additional Yosemite campground reservations were available last month.
This story was originally published May 17, 2022 at 8:44 AM.
