Does Yosemite still require entry reservations?

Yosemite ends entry reservations in 2026—expect crowds

For travelers planning national park trips, reservation policies can make the difference between a smooth itinerary and a last-minute scramble. The update here is that Yosemite National Park no longer requires entry reservations, and the change is part of a broader shift impacting multiple parks.

The practical impact is that visitors can enter without booking an advance timed entry slot, which lowers the planning friction for spontaneous trips. However, the same update comes with a caution: removing reservations can lead to overcrowding, because more visitors can show up at once.

This isn’t only Yosemite. The broader policy note includes other parks—Glacier, Yosemite, and Arches—as among the national parks that dropped their reservation requirements for 2026.

What this means for travel planning:

• Check your dates and driving/arrival time: even without reservations, popular parks can fill up fast.
• Build in buffer time for parking and entry lines.
• Consider alternative arrival windows (earlier mornings or off-peak times) to reduce congestion.

If your plan depends on predictable access—such as limited lodging availability near park entrances—the reservation removal still changes your strategy: instead of planning around timed entry, you may need to plan around capacity and the realities of peak season demand.