Yosemite Visitation Up 9.5% to 2.59 Million After Timed-Entry System Ends
Yosemite National Park in California recorded about 2.59 million recreation visits in the first seven months of 2026, a 9.5% increase from the same period in 2025, according to National Park Service data. July alone brought 665,877 visits, up 8% year on year, making Yosemite one of the fastest-growing parks in the national system.
The increase came after the federal timed-entry reservation requirement was removed for the summer season, allowing visitors to enter without booking ahead. A visitor survey conducted Aug. 7-16 found 96% of respondents rated their experience good or excellent, and 91% waited less than 15 minutes at entrances — new traffic-management measures were associated with shorter waits despite stronger demand.
Historians note the crowding debate is as old as tourism at Yosemite itself, dating to the first tourist party in 1855. Park managers said traffic and dispersal measures would continue to balance visitor demand against protection of the valley's ecology.
Yosemite is the only California park in the national top ten by visitation, and its rebound has lifted lodging and dining business in gateway communities such as Mariposa and Oakhurst. Officials said ending the reservation system did not produce the feared chaos, with entry guidance and shuttle services remaining the main tools for managing heavy crowds.
Photo: 优胜美地山谷与半圆顶实景，CC BY-SA 4.0（Wikimedia Commons，摄影：Pimlico27）
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 优胜美地山谷与半圆顶实景，CC BY-SA 4.0（Wikimedia Commons，摄影：Pimlico27）
