Overview
- In February 2026 the National Park Service ended Yosemite’s season-long timed-entry reservation system after reviewing 2025 visitor and traffic data.
- Memorial Day weekend served as the first major test of the change, producing long entrance delays, parking lots full before midmorning, crowded trails and viral videos showing illegal roadside and meadow parking.
- The NPS says it will rely on real-time traffic measures, temporary diversions, live visitor alerts and added seasonal staff to manage peak demand without reservations.
- Conservation groups and local advocates warn that rising 2026 visitation, recent staffing losses and proposed budget cuts could leave those real-time tactics insufficient to protect fragile meadows, wildlife and emergency access.
- Look for what management tools the NPS uses next and whether park officials restore limits, expand transit or add permanent staff, because summer peak months historically bring far higher monthly visitation and greater operational strain.