Entrance Reservations

Reservations Required During Select Dates and Times in 2024

Entrance Reservations in 2024

A reservation will be required to drive into Yosemite from spring through fall in 2024.

• February 26 through April 12: No reservation required to drive into Yosemite.

• April 13 through June 30: A reservation is required from 5 am to 4 pm on Saturdays, Sundays, and on holidays (May 27 and June 19).

• July 1 through August 16: A reservation is required from 5 am to 4 pm every day.

• August 17 through October 27: A reservation is required from 5 am to 4 pm on Saturdays, Sundays, and on holidays (September 2 and October 14).

Driving through the park will also require a reservation if entering between 5 am and 4 pm. If you are planning to visit after peak hours, please do not arrive before 4 pm; vehicles blocking roads will be cited.

The temporary reservation system will help manage congestion and provide a quality visitor experience. We are experimenting with a few different ideas for this summer as we work on the Visitor Access Management Plan.

February 2024 Entrance Reservations

Horsetail Fall can glow orange when it's backlit by sunset, which can make it appear to be on fire. This unique lighting effect happens only on evenings with a clear sky when the waterfall is flowing and when the sun is at the right angle in mid– to late February. This event attracts many visitors to a small area, causing traffic congestion, parking issues, safety concerns, and impacts to natural and cultural resources. In order to manage this event, a reservation will be required to enter Yosemite National Park on the weekends of February 10–11, February 17–19, and February 24–25, 2024, even for those not visiting Horsetail Fall. Visitors who arrive Mondays through Fridays (except Monday, February 19) won't need a reservation. The $35/car entrance fee is valid for entry for seven days, regardless of day of arrival.

Day-Use Reservation

Beginning at 8 am Pacific time on December 1, 50% of day-use reservations are available for all three weekends at https://www.recreation.gov/timed-entry/10086745.

Beginning at 8 am Pacific time two days prior to a day-use reservation date, the remaining 50% of day-use reservations will be available. For example, on February 23 at 8 am, day-use reservations for February 25 will be available.

Each user can make one reservation per seven days. An occupant of the arriving vehicle must be the reservation holder (with photo ID). The reservation is then valid for seven consecutive days (including arrival date).

Reservations are taken almost immediately. Be sure to have an account and be logged in and ready to get a reservation promptly at 8 am Pacific time.

The non-refundable reservation fee is $2. You will pay the entrance fee (or show an annual or lifetime pass) when you arrive..

Cancelled reservations become available immediately on Recreation.gov.

Each user can make one reservation per day. Only one reservation is needed per vehicle (regardless of the number of people in the vehicle). An occupant of the arriving vehicle must be the reservation holder (with photo ID).

Day-use permits are valid for seven consecutive days for unlimited entries.

In-Park Camping, Lodging, or Vacation Rentals

If you have a reservation for one of the following, you do not need an additional reservation. You still pay the $35/car entrance fee upon arrival (credit card only) unless you have an annual or lifetime pass. The overnight vehicle permit you receive will be valid for seven consecutive days for unlimited entries. Your overnight vehicle permit is valid for seven days starting on the date of your campground or lodging reservation.

• Day-use reservation (valid for 7 consecutive days for unlimited re-entries)

• Campground reservation at Upper Pines, Wawona, Hodgdon Meadow, or Camp 4

• Lodging reservation at Yosemite Valley Lodge or Curry Village

• Private lodging or vacation rental reservation in Wawona, Yosemite West, or Foresta

• Commercial use authorization

Will first-come, first-served campsites be available?

Not on weekends beginning February 9. Campground reservations will be required for Camp 4, Hodgdon Meadow, and Wawona Campgrounds beginning February 9–February 25, 2024 (these campgrounds normally operate on a first-come, first-served basis in February). Reservations will be released on December 15 at 7 am Pacific time at Recreation.gov. (Upper Pines Campground reservations are always available up to five months in advance.)

Regional Transit or Tour Groups

If you have a reservation for Yosemite Area Regional Transporation System (YARTS) or with an authorized tour group, you do not need an additional reservation or permit.

Ways to Get a Reservation

Peak-Hours Reservations

Most reservations for all dates from April 13 through October 27, 2024, were available on Recreation.gov on January 5, 2024 at 8 am Pacific time. Additional reservations will be available seven days before the arrival date (e.g., make a reservation for an arrival date of October 27 on October 20) at 8 am Pacific time. Reservations available one week in advance will be a combination of reservations valid for full days or reservations valid for arrival only in the afternoons (on all three days).

Reservations are available each day at 8 am Pacific time. Reservations are taken almost immediately. Be sure to have a Recreation.gov account and be logged in and ready to get a reservation promptly at 8 am Pacific time.

The non-refundable reservation fee is $2 (this does not include the $35-per-car park entrance fee).

Each user can make one reservation for each three-day period. For example, if a user makes a reservation for a Friday arrival (valid Friday through Sunday), the user won’t be able to make a second reservation for an arrival that Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. The reservation holder must be in the arriving vehicle and show photo ID at the entrance station.

Peak-hours reservations are valid for three consecutive days (including arrival date).

If you don't have computer access, you can call 877/444-6777 to make a reservation.

In-Park Camping, Lodging, or Vacation Rentals

If you have a reservation for one of the following, you do not need an additional reservation. You still pay the $35-per-car entrance fee upon arrival (credit card only) unless you have an annual or lifetime pass. Your reservation for in-park lodging or camping, a Half Dome permit, or a wilderness permit allows you to enter the park 24 hours per day for the duration of your reservation or for three consecutive days (whichever is longer).

• A Yosemite National Park campground

• Curry Village, Housekeeping Camp, Yosemite Valley Lodge, The Ahwahnee, Wawona Hotel, White Wolf Lodge, and Tuolumne Meadows Lodge

• Private lodging or vacation rental in Wawona, Yosemite West, or Foresta

• Yosemite wilderness permit or Half Dome permit

Reservations for lodging or vacation rentals outside the park and in communities other than these three do not provide access to Yosemite.

Wilderness or Half Dome Permits

If you have a wilderness permit reservation (for backpacking) or Half Dome permit, you do not need an additional reservation. You still pay the $35/car entrance fee upon arrival (credit card only) unless you have an annual or lifetime pass. Your reservation allows you to enter the park 24 hours per day for the duration of your reservation or for three days (whichever is longer).

If you have a wilderness permit, you may enter the park a day before the date on your wilderness permit to stay at a backpackers campground.

A Half Dome permit does not allow you to camp in Yosemite.

Regional Transit or Tour Groups

If you enter the park on a Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System (YARTS) bus or with an authorized tour group, you do not need an additional reservation or permit.

Visiting without a Reservation

If you don't have a reservation, you can still visit Yosemite. You must arrive at an entrance station (other than Hetch Hetchy) before 5 am or after 4 pm. If you are planning to visit after peak hours, please do not arrive before 4 pm; vehicles blocking roads will be cited.

If you enter during non-peak hours on your first day, you must still enter before 5 am or after 4 pm on subsequent days, even if you have an entrance station receipt.

You can visit the Hetch Hetchy area of the park when it is open (sunrise to sunset) without a reservation.

Still have questions?

We have answers!

Planning for the Future

Yosemite has been grappling with congestion—even gridlock—for decades. 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.