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Months after federal officials instituted a new policy to bring more crowds to Yosemite National Park, tourists are apparently coming back with a vengeance.
Yosemite is receiving a surge of visitors, with 225,817 recreational guests in March as opposed to just 155,758 visitors in March of last year, according to SFGate.
That marks the busiest month since 2016, the California-based outlet said, and comes after the National Park Service (NPS) recently rolled back advance reservations at Yosemite.
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An NPS spokesperson, however, told Fox News Digital that the recent overcrowding claims “are not an accurate characterization of current park operations.”
The official added, “Yosemite, like many iconic national parks, experiences periods of high visitation, particularly around weather-dependent events and holiday weekends.”
Yosemite National Park is said to be seeing a sharp rise in visitors after officials ended advance reservation requirements for peak travel periods. The National Park Service says there are “periods of high visitation.” (Eric Thayer/ Los Angeles Times)
In February, the NPS announced Yosemite would no longer require advance reservations, even during peak summer months.
“The park will rely on real-time traffic management measures, including temporary traffic diversions when parking areas reach capacity and deployment of additional seasonal staff to manage high-use areas,” the NPS said.
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The changes were rolled out to “support strong visitation in 2026,” per the NPS — but according to California media outlets, that worked a little too well.
Visitors have been struggling with overcrowding ahead of the busy summer season, with parking lots filling early, shuttle buses packed to capacity and drivers circling Yosemite Valley in search of spaces, The Los Angeles Times reported.
Yosemite National Park is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the U.S. — and some California media outlets say there’s been overcrowding ahead of the busy summer travel season. (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu)
“The waits are insane,” San Jose resident Kunal Khandwala said about the shuttle service, after struggling to find parking, the LA Times said.
John Buckley, executive director of the Central Sierra Environmental Resource Center (CSERC), described the overcrowded conditions in an interview with SFGate.
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“Especially on Saturdays and sometimes also on Fridays and Sundays, the amount of crowding in the park exceeds the capacity of the parking lots, results in vehicles parked inappropriately wherever they can squeeze in along roads, and results in a crammed-together visitor experience,” said Buckley.
National Park Service officials said Yosemite would rely on traffic management measures instead of reservation requirements during busy months. (Apu Gomes)
Buckley said a Yosemite visitor recently told a CSERC staff member that the crowds were “wall to wall” and that visiting the park “felt like a day at Disneyland.”
In a Facebook group for Yosemite visitors, users complained about the crowds in a variety of posts.
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“We were there this past Saturday through Monday … Saturday it was awful, there was absolutely no parking anywhere,” one person said recently.
“[Every day] has been busier,” another wrote.
Yosemite officials previously announced plans to eliminate advance reservations even during peak summer visitation periods at the park. (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu)
“Plan on every single day between Memorial Day and Labor Day to be exceedingly crowded,” a third user said.
Another Facebook user wrote, “Only way to avoid summer crowds — to not go in summer!”
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Not all visitors described severe crowding.
Conditions seemingly vary across different areas of the 1,169-square-mile park and at different times of the year.
Some visitors at Yosemite report packed parking lots, crowded shuttle buses and long waits ahead of the summer tourism season. (Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times)
“Very uncrowded as compared to summer months. … Weather may have contributed to this a bit, though,” one Facebook user said a couple of months ago.
Another person wrote on Facebook in the middle of March, “Just got back, crowds are very minimal, especially early in the day! I can’t image going there [during] peak season.”
“America’s national parks are open and accessible.”
Other social media users described beautiful weather and no issues with crowds.
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The NPS spokesperson said, “America’s national parks are open and accessible, and we are pleased to see strong public interest in experiencing these treasured places.”
