Yosemite National Park has reportedly been overwhelmed by visitors, with crowding described as comparable to Disneyland over Memorial Day weekend, following the National Park Service's decision to end a reservation system that previously managed crowd sizes.
Visitor Experiences
One visitor, Andranik Arakelyan, told ABC7 that some park-goers waited "for at least an hour and a half" just to enter the iconic California park. Typically, arriving early is essential to secure a parking spot, but another visitor, John Leerskov, reported that by 7:30 a.m., no parking was available. He described conditions inside the park as "shoulder to shoulder, a lot of chaos, a lot of angry people, a lot of oblivious people."
Videos from the park showed dozens of cars parked illegally in areas that could damage the park's grounds. Conservationist Beth Pratt, who viewed the footage, told ABC7 she saw people parking in meadows and driving off marked roads, calling it "horrendous."
Visitor Numbers Surge
By March, Yosemite had already logged nearly 100,000 more visitors than at the same point last year. In March, the park saw 225,817 visitors, compared to 155,758 in the same period the previous year. Some visitors claim this surge has led to chaotic conditions.
The NPS told The Independent that "temporary traffic delays during high-interest events are not evidence of operational failure," but "reflect the reality of managing one of the nation's most visited national parks during peak demand." The agency stated it continues to manage visitation through coordinated traffic operations, shuttle services, seasonal staffing increases, law enforcement presence, and real-time communications.
Reservation System Ended
Yosemite Superintendent Ray McPadden said in February, when the reservation system was ended, that data showed a season-wide reservation requirement was not the most effective approach for the coming season. The park service now uses real-time traffic management measures, including temporary diversions when parking areas reach capacity and additional seasonal staff in high-use areas.
The reservation system was eliminated to support strong visitation in 2026, a goal that appears to have been met, though perhaps not as intended. The NPS has pushed back against claims of chaos, telling Fox News Digital that reports "are not an accurate characterization of current park operations."
Mixed Reports from Visitors
John Buckley, executive director of the Central Sierra Environmental Resource Center, told Fox News Digital he heard varying accounts. One visitor reported "wall to wall" crowds, feeling like a day at Disneyland. Others in a Facebook group for Yosemite visitors warned that every day between Memorial Day and Labor Day would be exceedingly crowded, with one commenter suggesting the only way to avoid summer crowds is not to go in summer. However, some visitors reported minimal crowding in March, supporting the NPS's position that attendance fluctuates naturally.
