THE EARNEST TRAVELER
Yosemite has scrapped timed-entry reservations for all of 2026. You still pay the entrance fee. Nothing has been announced for 2027.
The entrance fee is not what ruins a Yosemite day. Parking is. Here is what you actually pay, what is actually open, and the two rules that cost people $5,000.
Yosemite has scrapped the timed-entry reservation system for all of 2026. You still pay the entrance fee, but you no longer need to book a slot to drive in.
Be careful with older articles. The park has switched this on and off repeatedly in recent years, and the announcement covers 2026 only. Nothing has been said about 2027, and a Visitor Access Management Plan is still in progress. If you are planning 2027 travel, re-check before you book.
Entrance fees
| Pass | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle, 7 days | $35 | Covers everyone in the car. |
| Yosemite annual | $70 | Pays for itself on a second visit. |
| America the Beautiful annual | $80 | Valid at every national park. |
| Non-U.S. resident, vehicle | $35 + $100 per person 16+ | Substantially more than residents pay. |
| Non-U.S. resident annual | $250 | Rather than $80. |
The parking problem — the real one
Valley parking is usually full after 8 a.m. The park warns of delays of an hour or more at entrance stations and two to three hours inside Yosemite Valley. Glacier Point backs up as much as two hours once its lot fills. July alone averages over 624,000 visitors.
The answer is not a better parking strategy. It is: arrive early, park once, and use the free shuttle. Two routes run 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, every 22 to 32 minutes, with no ticket needed.
Which roads are open when
- Valley roads — open all year.
- Tioga Road — closed roughly November through May or June, about seven months. Opened May 15 in 2026.
- Glacier Point Road — late May to October or November. Opened May 9 in 2026.
- Wawona and Hetch Hetchy — open all year.
A February visitor gets the Valley, Wawona and Hetch Hetchy, and nothing else.
Under R-3 conditions there are no exemptions of any kind, and the citation runs up to $5,000. A four-wheel-drive vehicle does not exempt you. Carry them in the car.
Public transport: YARTS
Public buses run into the park from the gateway corridors with three stops in the Valley. YARTS fares do not include the park entrance fee. Details at yarts.com. Taking the bus sidesteps the parking problem entirely, which is worth more than it sounds.
Altitude
The Valley floor sits at about 4,000 feet. Tuolumne Meadows is 8,600, Porcupine Flat 8,100, White Wolf 8,000, and Tioga Pass tops out at 9,945 feet. Driving from sea level to a Tuolumne trailhead in one morning gives your body no time to adjust.
What to expect from services in 2026
The Park Service is expected to be understaffed this summer. The park's own mitigation for dropping the reservation system leans on extra staffing at traffic decision points — which manages cars, not visitor centers. Plan for longer entrance queues and fewer ranger programs.
Roads, trails and waterfall flow all change. The park's Current Conditions page is the authority, and there is a recorded road line at 209/372-0200.
Early starts, thin air, and long queues at the gate.