Yosemite National Park steers away from vehicle reservation system for 2026 season

By Cecilio Padilla

Parks officials say Yosemite won’t use a timed reservation system for vehicles this year.

The National Parks Service announced the change on Wednesday, noting that the decision was based on an analysis of parking availability and traffic.

“While reservation systems are one valuable management tool, our data demonstrates that a season-wide reservation requirement is not the most effective approach for the coming season,” said Yosemite Superintendent Ray McPadden in a statement.

Officials say their analysis found that most weekdays had available parking and traffic within the park’s capacity.

Still, the park will be maintaining active parking management and placing extra staff at key intersections during peak periods.

Visitors are also being strongly encouraged to try and visit the park during the week instead of weekend days.

Yosemite’s increased popularity in recent years prompted officials to implement the reservation system in 2020.

However, as of 2025, the reservation system was on hold. Even the park’s popular “firefall” event, expected in February, won’t require reservations this year.