Yosemite National Park is bringing back the day-use reservation for summer crowds
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Visitors look at a sign that explains the one-way trail ahead on June 11, 2020, in Yosemite National Park, Calif.Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
As coronavirus cases decline in California and the state begins to reopen, Yosemite is preparing for an uptick in visitors.
The national park announced Thursday it will launch a day-use reservation system Friday, May 21, to manage the number of people in the park and prevent the spread of COVID-19, park officials said.
Every visitor entering the park will need a day-use reservation, including annual and lifetime pass holders. The reservation is valid for three days with unlimited re-entries.
As of press time, some trails, campsites, and businesses are closed due to COVID-19 precautions. To check for safety protocols and potential closures, check individual websites before you go.
It’s no exaggeration to say that some of the most formative outdoor experiences of my adult life happened at Yosemite National Park in California. It’s where I went backpacking for the very first time (and where I learned that you do not, in fact, need to haul along a full-size pillow and roughly ten pounds of Swedish Fish in order to survive). It’s also where I completed my first multi-pitch climb, saw my first bear, and dug my first cathole (necessary after viewing my first bear). I even completed my first long-distance hike, a two-month stint on the Pacific Crest Trail, which meandered through the park’s Tuolumne Meadows, where Alex Honnold offered me a wave from one of his famous paws