MARIPOSA, Calif. (KNX) — Reservations to enter Yosemite National Park will go on sale starting at 8 a.m. on Wednesday. Tourists will need one to enter one of America’s most popular national parks between 6 a.m. and 4 p.m. starting May 20 through Sep. 30.
Visitors with other forms of reservation, such as those for lodging and camping, will be exempt from the rule, along with those entering the park outside peak hours. Exempted visitors include those with private lodging and vacation rentals in the nearby communities of Wawona, Yosemite West, or Foresta, in addition to park hotels and campgrounds.
Reservations to enter during peak hours also won’t be needed for visitors with wilderness permits for backpacking trips, hikers with Half Dome permits, and visitors entering the park via the Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System (YARTS) buses or on already-permitted commercial tours.
Entry reservations are priced at $2 on top of normal park fees, usually $35. Seventy percent of reservations will be available for purchase on Wednesday. The remaining 30 percent will go on sale seven days before a given arrival date, available daily at 8 a.m.
“Reservations are taken almost immediately,” Yosemite officials warned. “Be sure to have a Recreation.gov account and be logged in and ready to get a reservation promptly at 8 am Pacific daylight time.” Each reservation is valid for one vehicle and the occupants of that vehicle for three consecutive days, starting on the arrival date.
Visitors with annual and lifetime passes will still need reservations to enter the park during peak hours.
Those who wish to drive through Yosemite without stopping — along Tioga Road to the Eastern Sierra, for example — may only do so without purchasing a reservation if they enter before 6 a.m. or after 4 p.m.
Park officials announced the return of its reservation system last month. The strategy was aimed at reducing traffic congestion near sites of numerous construction projects planned for the park throughout 2022. Previously, the park had implemented a reservation system to promote health and safety during periods of heightened transmissibility during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Peak hour reservations can be purchased at recreation.gov. Those without computer access can make a reservation by calling (877) 444-6777.
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