Yosemite has removed the weekend reservation requirement earlier than planned

Visitors planning to go to Yosemite National Park on weekends will no longer need a reservation, according to park officials.

The National Park Service has lifted the reservation requirement early, meaning that reservations will not be needed during the last two weeks of October. Visitors will likely only have to make reservations again next spring, as noted in a social media update from the National Park Service on Thursday.

“The reservation requirement was originally set to continue until October 27, but after assessing visitor use patterns and impacts, we are concluding it a few weeks early,” park officials stated in an Instagram post. “We will automatically refund anyone who holds a valid peak-hours reservation after October 13.” Previously, the park charged a $2 service fee on top of the entrance fee for reservations, and those who paid will be refunded.

Under the 2024 policy, drivers were required to secure reservations before entering or passing through Yosemite during peak hours, typically from 5 a.m. to 3 p.m. throughout much of the year. This requirement was in effect seven days a week during most of the summer, and on weekends and holidays in spring, early summer, and fall.

According to the National Park Service, Yosemite attracted nearly 4 million visitors in 2021, a decrease from over 4.5 million in 2019. In 2020, the park saw only 2.3 million visitors, about half of its annual average.

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