Reservations again required to enter Yosemite National Park. Here’s why and how it works
Yosemite National Park announced Friday that it will require reservations to enter the park starting Feb. 8.
The popular park in California reopened Monday after closing due to snow and wind damage from recent storms. The only park entrance currently open is along Highway 140.
Reservations for February will be available starting at 8 a.m. Monday, Feb. 1 on recreation.gov. Those with overnight lodging and camping reservations in Yosemite won’t need a separate day-use reservation via recreation.gov to enter the park.
Yosemite spokesman Scott Gediman on Friday said the temporary day-use reservation system is being put in place to manage visitation levels to reduce COVID-19 risks. Recent storm damage, staff shortages, and managing crowds that come to see the “firefall” phenomena – where Horsetail Fall in Yosemite Valley can glow a golden orange at sunset in February – was also behind the park’s decision to implement the temporary day-use reservation system, Gediman said.
Day-use reservations will be required to enter Yosemite at least through February. Gediman said the number of day-use reservations available will fluctuate depending on conditions. The total number of reservations available each day is still being determined, he said, and is also being based on historic visitation levels for February.
Yosemite reservations available through recreation.gov will work the same way they did in the summer of 2020 – with 80% of reservations available at the start of the month, and 20% available two days prior to a visit.
Highway 41 entrance to Yosemite closed
While the park is open again, its south entrance via Highway 41 remains closed to visitors, along with parts of the park south of Yosemite Valley off Wawona Road (Highway 41 outside of the park).
The Yosemite community of Wawona sustained significant damage from a destructive Mono winds event early last week. Gediman said Friday that Wawona residents remained without electricity. Restoring power there and removing downed trees is the priority in determining when that park of the park will reopen.
Gediman said more park buildings and employee homes, including some in Yosemite Valley, were damaged on Thursday and Friday from this week’s storm that brought heavy snow to the Sierra Nevada.
Day-use reservations will be required for all visitors, including annual and senior pass holders. Each reservation is valid for seven days for one vehicle and the occupants of that vehicle, and must be validated the first day of the reservation. The cost of those reservations weren’t announced, but were $2 last year.
More information is available on Yosemite’s website.
“The reservation system will be in effect until local public health conditions improve,” the park said. “The health and safety of park visitors, employees, and partners continues to be our number one priority.”
This story was originally published January 29, 2021 at 12:35 PM with the headline "Reservations again required to enter Yosemite National Park. Here’s why and how it works."
