08/10/2026
Entry times into the park are substantially better this year.
Yosemite had 654,356 recreation visits in July 2026, an increase of 6.1% from July 2025 (616,551 recreation visits) when a peak-hours reservation system was in place. Most of the increase this summer has been on Thursdays and Fridays, when there is ample parking availableSo far in 2026, the park has hosted 2,657,602 recreation visits, up 8% from this time in 2025 (2,460,675 recreation visits).
Thousands of people continue enjoying the park every day. Key Improvements in 2026:
◼ There have been only two days of significant traffic delays this year, a dramatic reduction from 120+ days of gridlock in previous years. Thanks to one-way traffic patterns and proactive management, traffic flows freely in Yosemite Valley, even on weekends.
◼ Sufficient parking is available Sunday through Friday in all areas of the park. On summer Saturdays and holidays, Yosemite Valley parking typically fills by 10–11am, but parking remains available elsewhere. All parking in Yosemite has not filled any day this year.
◼ Entrance lines move faster than ever with entrance waits under 15 minutes most of the time; Saturday mornings average 30 minutes, with maximum waits around 1 hour. This is much improved from previous years’ 3+ hour waits.
◼ Most visitors board the first shuttle arriving at Yosemite Valley stops, with longer waits possible throughout the day and on Saturdays.
