Yosemite officials are making some changes in response to the national park’s growing popularity among rock climbers.
Beginning May 21, all rock climbers planning to overnight on any routes in the park will be required to obtain an overnight wilderness climbing permit.
Yosemite officials made the announcement Thursday.
The 2-year-long pilot program is being implemented to better understand how climbers use Yosemite’s massive granite walls, officials said. It is also hoped the program will mitigate the negative impacts associated with overnight big wall use, such as trash buildup.
Officials said the permits will be free for the duration of the pilot program.
Climbing in Yosemite has become more mainstream in recent years, thanks to high-profile ascents such as Alex Honnold’s rope-free climb of El Capitan in 2017, documented in the Oscar-winning film “Free Solo.”
This is one of many changes Yosemite has made to manage its visitor numbers. Last month, the park announced the return of reservations for all daytime visitors, which was first introduced last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The new climbing permits will be available beginning at 8 a.m. on May 14.
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