Earlier this month, Yosemite National Park visitors rejoiced as the park announced major summer reopenings, but with that joy came concern. In February, Yosemite was one of a handful of parks to end its timed entry system, and already this year the change has caused major congestion.
Videos shared by ABC7 News show massive lines of cars waiting to get inside. Reported wait times of an hour and a half, and jam-packed parking lots have left many park-goers frustrated and worried about what this means for the peak summer season.
Already, Yosemite National Park has seen more visitors than this time last year. As a result, guests are rubbing shoulders at popular lookouts and resorting to activities such as illegal parking. Here’s a closer look at what visitors are saying about the unbearable conditions.
“Managing Them Like An Amusement Park”:pe Conservationist Reacts To Yosemite National Park Chaos
Since the timed entry change was announced, conservationists and park advocates have criticized the move, with many voicing concerns that the increased traffic will cause harm to the park’s natural resources.
“These are the best protected places on the planet, and we cannot be managing them like an amusement park,” conservationist and author Beth Pratt told ABC.
Back in February, Mark Rose, Senior Sierra Nevada Program Manager for the National Parks Conservation Association, had this to say about it:
“Eliminating Yosemite’s seasonal reservation system will undoubtedly lead to hours-long traffic jams, damage to park resources, strain on remaining park staff, and ruined experiences for visitors.
At the time, Yosemite Superintendent Ray McPadden said they were committed to visitor access/safety, resource protection, and active traffic management strategies. Now, roughly three months later, many of Rose’s predictions are proving to be true.
For those who have recently explored the park, the chaos doesn’t end once their hour-and-a-half wait is over. Let’s take a look at what park-goers are saying.
“A Lot Of Angry People” Park-Goers Are Having Bad Yosemite National Park Experiences
John Leerskov, who recently went to Yosemite, said that by 7:30 a.m., parking was impossible to secure. “It was a lot of shoulder to shoulder, a lot of chaos, a lot of angry people, a lot of oblivious people,” Leerskov explained.
On Reddit, travelers asking for advice on the best time to visit Yosemite were met with a dark reality.
One Redditor implied that the advice to simply go early is no longer relevant. “…More and more people will be going early. Last Saturday, by 8:00 curry parking was full, and there was a line at the gate,” they said.
Another added, “…You won’t be able to imagine it until you are experiencing it. Then it is too late, you will be stuck in gridlock hell for hours with nowhere to park. Eventually, you will quit and leave furious that the park wouldn’t create a timed entry or reservation system to prevent this waste of an entry fee.”
In addition to no longer having a reservation system for entry, Yosemite has seen nearly 100,000 more visitors than it did during the same period last year. Despite overwhelming capacity issues, NPS has some advice for travelers hoping to visit Yosemite this summer.
NPS Reminds Yosemite Visitors To “Pack Your Patience”
The Yosemite National Park website has some advice for travelers who want to have a good experience this summer. One tidbit says, “Pack your patience: millions of people visit Yosemite from April through October.” Other reminders include:
- Early birds avoid traffic! From spring through fall, arrive in the park before or after peak hours (before 9 am and after 5 pm) to avoid delays and traffic congestion.
- Drive responsibly: observe posted speed limits and use pullouts to take pictures and let other cars pass.
Planning to visit on weekdays and using bus transportation can also help make the experience more pleasant. For those who’d rather skip Yosemite altogether, try visiting California’s most underrated National Park instead.
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