Yosemite’s plunging waterfalls and sheer granite cliffs are just as spectacular as they’ve been since the last Ice Age, roughly 20,000 years ago. But one thing has changed at California’s world-famous park: If you’re planning to drive your car into Yosemite in 2024, you’ll need to have an entry reservation, and you can get one starting on January 5.
Yosemite officials say the 2024 reservation system will make park entry smoother for visitors and park employees by reducing wait times at entrance stations. The system is designed to “ease overcrowding during peak times and continue to offer access for all to this extremely popular park,” according to the Yosemite website.
The 2024 reservation system, called “Peak Hours Plus,” will be in effect every day during the peak season of July 1–Aug. 16. Additionally, it’s in effect on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays during the following periods: Feb. 10–25, April 13–June 30, and Aug. 17–Oct. 27.
On those dates, all vehicles entering the park between the hours of 5 a.m. and 4 p.m. will need a reservation. That applies to park visitors who wish to sightsee and explore the park as well as people driving across Yosemite on Tioga Pass Road, aka Highway 120 East. (Drivers without a reservation may enter the park before 5 a.m. or after 4 p.m.)
Starting January 5 at 8 a.m. PT, entry reservations are available online for a fee of $2. You’ll also need to purchase a Yosemite entrance pass, which you can buy online or as you enter the park ($35 for private vehicles). One reservation fee and entrance pass is valid for everyone inside the vehicle.
You can choose from full-day reservations or reservations valid for entry only between noon and 4 p.m. (afternoon reservations will be more plentiful). All reservations have built-in wiggle room: If your vacation plans are delayed, your reservation is valid for up to three consecutive days starting on your specified arrival date.
Exceptions apply to visitors with in-park lodging or camping reservations, Half Dome permits, or wilderness permits—they don’t need an entry reservation. You can also skirt the requirement if you enter the park on a YARTS bus or on an authorized guided tour.
If you try to reserve in January for a July vacation and find that entry reservations are sold out, you may be able to score a spot closer to your trip dates: Additional reservations will be released one week in advance. (For example, a second batch of reservations for July 14 will be added on July 7.)
Yosemite is America’s sixth-most visited national park, with 3.7 million visitors entering the park in 2022 and 3.3 million in 2021, according to the National Park Service. In those two years, Yosemite had a reservation and quota system in place. In 2023, the park eliminated that system, which resulted in “extended traffic delays and extremely limited parking,” according to the park website. The return of the reservation system was announced at the end of 2023.
“This pilot system will inform how we ensure an equitable and outstanding visitor experience while protecting Yosemite’s world-class resources,” said park superintendent Cicely Muldoon in a press release.
Additional changes and upgrades for Yosemite National Park in 2024 include new and expanded parking lots and upgraded restroom facilities on Glacier Point Road; renovations to Yosemite Valley’s Bridalveil Fall Trail and parking lot; a new Yosemite Valley Welcome Center and outdoor plaza; and a $31.6 million renovation to the Ahwahnee Hotel.
No matter when you go, these travel tips can help you make the most out of your Yosemite visit:
• Try to visit Yosemite midweek instead of on weekends and holidays.
• Ride a YARTS bus from towns around the park to Yosemite Valley, then hop on the Valley’s free shuttles to visit popular attractions like Yosemite Falls. Or rent a bike and pedal Yosemite’s scenic paved trails.
• Explore not just the park but the entire Yosemite region. You’ll find fantastic outdoor adventures, enticing restaurants and breweries, and cozy lodgings in the gateway communities of Mariposa, Groveland, Lee Vining, and Oakhurst.
• Keep in mind that only some of Yosemite’s roads are open year-round. If you plan to visit Glacier Point, Tuolumne Meadows, or the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, or if you want to drive across the Sierra Nevada Mountains on Highway 120/Tioga Pass Road, check this page for November–June road closures.
