Full parking lots, gridlock traffic fill Yosemite Valley after reservations waved
Even before Memorial Day Weekend marked the beginning of Yosemite National Park’s high season, many visitors experienced hours-long wait times at entrance gates that led to jam-packed parking lots before mid-morning.
Known for its soaring views and rushing waterfalls nestled in the Sierra Nevada, California’s most visited national park has seen the highest number of visitors in a decade this spring, according to National Park visitation data.
And crowds don’t seem to be slowing down with summer on the way. Over the past few weekends, social media lit up with complaints of 90-minute entry lines, overflowing parking lots and human traffic jams on hiking trails.
Some park advocates say this is due to elimination of Yosemite’s reservation system by the Trump administration for 2026.
In February, the National Park Service announced plans to “expand public access” at some high-visitation parks in the summer while “maintaining safe and responsible management” during peak visitation times.
Instead of reservations, NPS said Yosemite will rely on “real-time traffic management measures,” including diverting traffic when parking areas reach capacity and deploying additional seasonal staff to manage high-use areas.
“Our national parks belong to the American people, and our priority is keeping them open and accessible,” Kevin Lilly, the U.S. Department of the Interior’s acting assistant secretary for fish, wildlife and parks, said in a Feb. 18 news release.
Reservations were originally implemented at Yosemite in 2020 to limit visitor capacity for COVID-19 safety reasons. The National Parks Conservation Association said that for the last few years, the system had begun to address years of unsustainable visitation patterns and successfully reduced congestion.
Officials at the National Parks Conservation Association predicted the “free-for-all” approach would lead to some of what visitors at the park have experienced over the past few weekends.
“Eliminating Yosemite’s seasonal reservation system will undoubtedly lead to hours-long traffic jams, damage to park resources, strain on remaining park staff, and ruined experiences for visitors,” Mark Rose, Senior Sierra Nevada Program Manager for the National Parks Conservation Association said in a statement.
Even with a reservation system in place, Yosemite saw about 2.9 million visits in the summer of 2025, up 7% from the prior year, The Bee previously reported.
Alex McCauley decided to make her first trip to Yosemite from Riverside on the Thursday before Memorial Day Weekend. She hunted for around 15 minutes before finding a spot in the parking lot outside Yosemite Lodge.
“We just got lucky, because it’s packed,” she said.
An experienced Yosemite visitor, Crystie Ewert of Lake Arrowhead, knew how best to plan ahead to avoid a parking crisis. She arrived early in the morning and opted to visit on a Thursday rather than the weekend.
“The parking was really good early, it’s gotten really busy now, and it’s a lot better off-season,” Ewert said. “This is Memorial Day Weekend, it’s terrible.”
Is it possible to avoid a parking nightmare at Yosemite this summer?
While hunting for a parking spot on busy weekends in Yosemite, it’s not uncommon for drivers to create their own on the side of the road or wedge cars in unmarked spots in lots.
Both Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks turned to social media this week, urging visitors not to park in roadways or unmarked spots, warning of the danger it could create and potential citations or towed vehicles.
They also provided some guidance on how visitors can responsibly secure a spot.
The number one tip: arrive at the park as early as possible, like Ewert did, before 8 a.m., as most lots fill by mid-morning. Visitors can get parking updates by texting ynptraffic to 333111.
The next tip: park once and stay parked for the day by walking, biking, or using the free Yosemite Valley or Sequoia shuttle systems to get around the park.
They also advised visitors to get familiar with highway names, park road names, locations, and parking areas before arriving.
This story was originally published May 22, 2026 at 1:50 PM.