|
We will announce details on plans for managing visitor access in summer 2025 soon. Entrance Reservations in 2025
February 2025 Reservation RequirementHorsetail 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 8–9, February 15–17, and February 22–23, 2025, even for those not visiting Horsetail Fall. Visitors who arrive Mondays through Fridays (except Monday, February 17) won't need a reservation. The $35/car entrance fee is valid for entry for seven days, regardless of day of arrival. Beginning at 8 am Pacific time on November 18, 50% of day-use reservations are available for all three weekends on Recreation.gov. 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 21 at 8 am, day-use reservations for February 23 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 sell out 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. 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 reservations are valid for seven consecutive days for unlimited entries. In-Park Camping, Lodging, or Vacation RentalsIf 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.
Regional Transit or Tour GroupsIf you have a reservation for Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System (YARTS) or with an authorized tour group, you do not need an additional reservation or permit. 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 under the following circumstances on evenings with:
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 drive into Yosemite February 8–9, February 15–17, and February 22–23, 2025. Visitors who arrive Mondays through Fridays (except Monday, February 17) and pay the entrance fee won't need a reservation. The $35/car entrance fee is valid for entry for seven days, regardless of day of arrival. Do I need a reservation to visit Yosemite National Park?If you are driving a vehicle into Yosemite National Park between February 8 and February 23, you will need a reservation if you first arrive on a Saturday or Sunday (February 8–9, February 15–16, and February 22–23, 2025) or if you arrive on Monday, February 17 (Washington's Birthday). If you first arrive and pay the entrance fee anytime from Monday through Friday (except Monday, February 17), you do not need a reservation to enter or to drive in again on any of the following seven days. For example. If you arrive Friday, February 16, your vehicle pass is valid through Thursday, February 22 (including over the weekend). (This also applies to annual and lifetime pass holders.) If you have a reservation, your entrance fee is also valid for seven consecutive days. The following reservations are valid for those arriving on Saturday, Sunday, and on Monday, February 17, during the reservation period:
If you enter the park via YARTS (Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System) buses, bicycle, on foot, or on horseback, you do not need a day-use reservation to enter the park. Park entrance fees still apply. I have an annual or lifetime Pass that provides free entrance. Do I need a reservation?Yes. These passes cover the park entrance fee, but you still need a reservation if driving into Yosemite National Park if your arrival date is Saturday or Sunday between February 8 and February 23 or on Monday, February 17. How and when do I get a day-use reservation to visit Yosemite National Park?Day-use reservations are only available via Recreation.gov. Reservations sell out quickly; be sure to have an account, be logged in, and ready to get a reservation promptly at 8 am Pacific time the day you make your 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 21 at 8 am, day-use reservations for February 23 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). Will first-come, first-served campsites be available?No. Campground reservations will be required for Camp 4, Hodgdon Meadow, and Wawona Campgrounds from February 8 through February 23, 2025 (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.) On Recreation.gov what does it mean that "reservations are not yet released"?If you try to find availability on Recreation.gov and it says reservations are not yet released, it means no more reservations are available until two days in advance of the target date, promptly at 8 am Pacific time (Reminder: 50% of reservations are released two days in advance). How much does a day-use reservation cost?Each day-use reservation costs $2. You will pay the entrance fee when you arrive. (Annual and lifetime passes, such as the Yosemite Annual Pass, Interagency Annual Pass, 4th Grade Pass, Military Pass, Access Pass, or Senior Pass, are valid for entrance fees but don’t cover the reservation requirement or fee.) If you cancel a day-use reservation ($2), the reservation will become available for someone else, but you will not receive a refund. You need one reservation per vehicle and the reservation is valid for everyone inside the vehicle. How long is my reservation valid?Your entrance fee and (if you have one) day-use reservation is valid for seven consecutive days from the day you pay the entrance fee or date indicated on the reservation. Do I have to arrive on the first day of my reservation?No, you can arrive any day within seven days of your reservation. What if my group is arriving in more than one vehicle?A day-use reservation is required for each vehicle (or motorcycle) that enters the park. The person whose name is on the reservation must be in the vehicle with a valid photo ID. If I have an overnight reservation, do I need an additional reservation?If you have a lodging reservation for Yosemite Valley, Wawona, Foresta, or Yosemite West, you don’t need an additional reservation. If you have a campground reservation for Upper Pines, Camp 4, Hodgdon Meadow, or Wawona Campgrounds, you don’t need an additional reservation. Reservations will be required for Camp 4, Hodgdon Meadow, and Wawona Campgrounds February 8 through February 23, 2025 (these campgrounds normally operate on a first-come, first-served basis in February). Do I need a reservation to enter the park if I have a reservation for a campground or lodging accommodation located outside of Yosemite National Park?Yes. You must have a day-use reservation to drive a personal vehicle into the park. Are same-day reservations available at the park? Can I wait at the entrance station and enter the park if people with reservations don’t show up?No. Reservations are not available at entrance stations. You can check Recreation.gov before you arrive to the park to see if any cancellations have become available. Can I give or sell my reservation or permit to someone else?No. Entrance passes and day-use reservations are non-transferable. Day-use reservations are only valid for the person who made the reservation and that person’s vehicle. How can I learn more about seeing Horsetail Fall?We have information about how to see Horsetail Fall, how to reach the viewing area, and how to protect yourself and the park, on our Horsetail Fall page. How can I provide comments about this system?You may always contact us on our website. The superintendent’s office receives all comments about the day-use reservation system. Why is this system 24 hours instead of peak hours?The park has had a peak-hours system during previous summers but has determined this will not work as well during the Horsetail Fall event to manage to indentified visitor capacities. The Horsetail Fall event lasts less than an hour per day (when conditions are favorable). However, the demand for viewing spots is very high. During previous management systems, the park found that many visitors were extremely motivated to arrive at any time of day to get access to the best viewpoints. The park believes that a peak-hours system would not work because a large number of visitors would arrive before peak hours started each day. Why does this system include the entire park?The vast majority of visitors are trying to visit Yosemite Valley because of seasonal road closures and conditions. Hetch Hetchy is excluded from the reservation requirement. During the Visitor Access Management Plan process, the park considered a variety of alternatives to a parkwide reservation system and found that implementing them would be very difficult, staff intensive, and/or require costly infrastructure changes. The key point is that there is no easy way to manage access just to Yosemite Valley. Turning vehicles around at El Capitan Crossover causes serious parking, traffic, and safety issues in western Yosemite Valley. Diverting vehicles at Bridalveil Fall intersection would require costly infrastructure improvements to change the exit route to a two-way road, would likely cause traffic and parking issues west of that location, and would require additional staffing not available during the winter. Trying to manage access from outside of Yosemite Valley (e.g., at Crane Flat, Chinquapin, and at the El Portal Road/Big Oak Flat Road intersection) would also be staff intensive and would still not allow visitors access to large areas of the park, depending on which road they were on, unless they exited the park and drove long distances to re-enter via another entrance station. Allowing drive-through access between the checkpoints is extremely difficult to enforce. Why can’t you manage traffic locally?Over the years, the park has experimented with several ways to manage traffic in Yosemite Valley during the Horsetail Fall event, however, none of these methods were effective or safe, and some methods required a large number of staff. Limiting the number of both vehicles and visitors is needed to avoid damage to natural and cultural resources. Why is there an exception for Badger Pass Ski Area but not for other areas of the park?As with all previous park reservation systems, visitors with certain types of reservations have been allowed access into the park (e.g., lodging, camping, wilderness permit, Half Dome permit, and certain activity reservations). Allowing visitors with Badger Pass lift ticket reservations is consistent with this approach. April through OctoberWe will announce details on plans for managing visitor access in summer 2025 soon. Planning for the FutureYosemite 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. |
Last updated: January 16, 2025