Entry Reservations Will Be Required to Visit Yosemite National Park in Summer 2024

This news story about vehicle entry reservations for Yosemite in summer 2024 is based on a December 13, 2023, National Park Service press release. You can read the original release here.

Like several other popular U.S. national parks, such as Arches, Glacier, and Rocky Mountain, Yosemite National Park is also implementing an entry reservation system in the summer of 2024. This was announced in a statement by the National Park Service.

Yosemite National Park Will Require Entry Reservations in Summer 2024

Specifically, Yosemite National Park is announcing a “Peak Hours Plus” 2024 vehicle reservation pilot system for park entry on the following dates:

On weekends from April 13 to June 30
Every day from July 1 to August 16
On weekends from August 17 to October 27

This system will be similar to the 2022 “Peak Hours” system, with the addition of more reservations for afternoon entries.

Park officials say the goal of the pilot is to ease overcrowding during peak times and continue to offer access for all to this extremely popular park.

Waterfalls in Yosemite National Park, California - Credit: NPS / Damon Joyce — *Image credit: NPS / Damon Joyce*

“This summer’s pilot system is built from extensive public feedback, data from three years of pilot reservation systems here in Yosemite, and lessons learned from other national parks,” said Superintendent Cicely Muldoon. “This pilot system will inform how we ensure an equitable and outstanding visitor experience while protecting Yosemite’s world class resources.”

Reservations will be required for vehicle entry to the park between 5 a.m. and 4 p.m. during the reservation periods.

Reservations are not required to enter the park after 4 p.m. Visitors will pick from two types of reservations:

Reservations valid for a full day, or
Reservations valid for entry any time after noon.

Yosemite National Park entry reservations will be available for purchase online beginning at 8 a.m. (PST) on January 5, 2024, for all arrival dates (April 13 to October 20) at recreation.gov/timed-entry/10086745.

Reservations will be available until none remain. Afternoon arrivals and additional full day reservations will be added one week in advance. For example, reservations for a September 30 arrival date will be added on September 23.

Both reservation types (full day and afternoon) are valid for up to three consecutive days, including the arrival date.

It’s also worth noting that visitors with in-park lodging or campground reservations, wilderness or Half Dome permits, or visitors entering the park via YARTS buses and on permitted commercial tours do not need a vehicle reservation.

You can learn more about the 2024 entry reservation system in Yosemite National Park here on the park’s website.

Yosemite National Park is currently evaluating past reservation pilot systems and other strategies to develop the Yosemite Visitor Access Management Plan.

Superintendent Muldoon noted that these pilots are a key part of learning and evaluating what strategies could best ensure that the long-term solution at Yosemite provides visitors and surrounding communities access to the outstanding resources of the park while protecting resources and providing high quality experiences for the future.

This Yosemite entry reservations system for the summer of 2024 is in addition to the February 2024 day-use reservation system the park in place earlier this year (to mitigate crowds who come to see the annual Horsetail Fall sunset phenomenon).