As crowds build at Yosemite, visitors worry the high season will be a disaster

"Even before the summer rush, which begins in earnest on Memorial Day weekend, California's most visited national park is seeing enormous crowds. The reason, according to parks advocates, is the Trump administration's decision to abandon a reservation system implemented in 2020. On Saturday, there seemed to be an uneasy balance: The crowds were large but well-managed, with some visitors worried about the months ahead."

"From California Rock, 1,100 feet above Yosemite Valley, the crown jewel of America's beloved national parks spreads out beneath you. The jaw-dropping north face of 8,800-foot Half Dome towers to the east. The silky green ribbon of the Merced River meanders through the valley floor below, astonishingly lush during the spring snow melt. And then you realize those gems are everywhere - as far as the eye can see - because every single parking space in the valley is full."

"On the way down from that vantage point, Upper Yosemite Falls Trail, which was practically empty at 9 a.m., had turned into a human conveyor belt by 11 a.m. Hundreds of people trudged up the steep switchbacks in single file. That's what's giving parks enthusiasts heartburn this spring."

"Even before the summer rush, which begins in earnest in a few days with Memorial Day weekend, California's most visited national park is seeing enormous crowds. There have been more than 836,000 visits so far in 2026, according to National Park System data - about 100,000 more than this time last year. The reason, according to parks advocates, is the Trump administration's decision to abandon a reservation system implemented in 2020 to limit crowds during the COVID-19 pandemic."

Yosemite National Park is experiencing very large crowds even before the Memorial Day weekend summer rush. In 2026, the park has recorded more than 836,000 visits so far, about 100,000 more than at the same time last year. Visitors fill every parking space in Yosemite Valley, and popular trails such as the Upper Yosemite Falls Trail shift from nearly empty in the morning to crowded lines by late morning. Parks advocates attribute the surge to the Trump administration ending a reservation system implemented in 2020. That system had been used to limit visitor numbers, help preserve natural tranquility, and manage crowd levels during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read at Los Angeles Times