Sunset over Yosemite National Park in California | Photo credit: Annie Archer/Travel + Leisure
Yosemite National Park has ended its reservation requirements ahead of time, allowing travelers to drive into the park without having to book in advance.
The reservation system, which was scheduled to end on Oct. 27, ended after Oct. 13 and is no longer in effect, according to the National Park Service. Refunds will be issued automatically to travelers who have purchased reservations for the remainder of this year.
This is why the reservation requirement has been dropped in Yosemite National Park Yosemite National Park | Image credit: Johannes Andersson/Unsplash
“The reservation requirement was scheduled to extend through October 27, but based on our monitoring of visitor use patterns and impacts, we are ending a few weeks early,” NPS wrote.
Visitors driving to Yosemite will still have to pay a US$35 (INR 2,942) per parking entry fee upon their arrival.
The NPS said in a statement that it will announce details by the end of this year on visitor access management plans for February and the summer of 2025. This year, reservations were required on some weekends in February as well as on Presidents Day in addition to the busy spring, summer and early fall seasons.
“Yosemite has been grappling with congestion – and even gridlock – for decades. We want to build on the lessons learned from the last three Managed Access summers.” We are currently developing a Visitor Access Management Plan in order to design an approach that provides a great visitor experience while protecting resources. Natural and Cultural Yosemite.”
Yosemite National Park is one of the most popular national parks in the United States, recording more than 3.8 million visits last year, according to National Park Service statistics. California Park is known for its giant sequoia trees, stunning hikes, towering waterfalls, and much more.
Yosemite was also not alone in implementing a reservation system. Other popular parks like Arches National Park, Glacier National Park, Rocky Mountain National Park and Zion National Park all had similar car or hiking reservation systems in place this year to control crowds.
All currency conversions have been completed at the time of writing
(Featured image credit: Annie Archer/Travel + Entertainment)
This story first appeared on travelandleisure.com
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The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.
Written by Alison Fox
