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Yosemite Pulling The Plug On Reservation-Based Entry System For The Year

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By

Justin Housman

Published Date

October 15, 2024

Grizzly Giant in Mariposa Grove, Yosemite National Park / Rebecca Latson

Yosemite National Park is dropping the reservation-based entry system weeks earlier than originally announced. As of October 13, there are no longer any entrance reservation requirements to enter or drive through the park. 

"The reservation requirement was planned to extend through October 27, but based on our monitoring of visitor use patterns and impacts, we are ending a few weeks early," park officials said in an Instagram post. "We will automatically issue refunds to anyone who has a peak-hours reservation that was valid after October 13."

Yosemite began experimenting with a reservation system back in 2020. Ever since, the system has generally been in place during the summer and on weekends during shoulder season. It's been controversial from the beginning, with many people arguing the system is unfair for those who can't make plans in advance to enter the park. While others praise the reduced congestion and heightened visitor experience with fewer vehicles in Yosemite Valley and driving over Tioga Pass. 

Park officials said in a release they'll be announcing plans for 2025's reservation system by the end of this year. 

"Yosemite has been grappling with congestion—even gridlock—for decades," the statement reads. "We want to build from the lessons learned from the last three summer of managed access. We are currently developing the Visitor Access Management Plan in order to design an approach that provides a great visitor experience while protecting Yosemite's natural and cultural resources."

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