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Yosemite reservations for 2026 are simpler than they were. The park dropped its season-wide timed-entry permit. So the only booking most day visitors need is the $35 seven-day vehicle entrance fee, per the National Park Service. Campers still have to move fast, because Yosemite Valley’s five-month reservation window on recreation.gov opens at 7 a.m. Pacific and the Pines campgrounds sell out within minutes. Hikers heading up the cables need a separate Half Dome permit, and it runs on its own March lottery, per the National Park Service.
I’ve learned to book Colorado river trips and campsites weeks ahead. That comes after showing up to a full outfitter or a locked campground gate more than once. So I now check a park’s reservation calendar before I pack the car. That habit matters even more at a park the size of Yosemite. The valley campgrounds and the Half Dome cables, after all, run on two completely separate booking clocks. Miss one window, and the next chance can be months away.
Yosemite Reservations 2026
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Timed entry reservation needed in 2026? | No — discontinued for the 2026 season |
| Vehicle entrance fee | $35 for a 7-day pass |
| Half Dome permit cost | $10 application fee + $10 per person if you win |
| Campground booking window | Most Yosemite Valley sites open 5 months ahead at 7 a.m. Pacific |
| Half Dome preseason lottery | Applications March 1–31, results in mid-April |
The table below adds up what a two-adult trip actually costs to book. It uses only fees the National Park Service publishes. The numbers show why the Half Dome permit, not the entrance fee, is the line item people forget to plan for.
| Reservation | What it covers | Cost for two adults | Booking window |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle entrance (7-day) | Park entry for the whole car, per the National Park Service | $35 total | No reservation required in 2026 |
| Half Dome permit (preseason lottery) | Cables-up hiking route, per the National Park Service | $10 application + $20 per-person fee = $30 | Apply March 1–31; results mid-April |
| Half Dome permit (daily lottery) | Same route, for a trip planned closer in | $10 application + $20 per-person fee = $30 | Apply 2 days before your hike, midnight–4 p.m. Pacific |
| America the Beautiful annual pass | Entry to Yosemite and other federal fee sites for a year | $80 (U.S. resident) | Buy any time |
Do you need a reservation for Yosemite in 2026?
No. Yosemite ended its season-wide entrance reservation system for 2026. The park reviewed how traffic actually moved the year before and dropped the requirement, per the National Park Service. Superintendent Ray McPadden said the data showed a season-wide reservation was not the most effective tool for the coming season. In its place, the park leans on real-time traffic monitoring and active parking management inside Yosemite Valley. It also adds extra staffing during peak stretches and visitor alerts when roads or lots fill.
That does not mean crowding disappears. Yosemite Valley still fills its parking on summer weekend afternoons. Arriving early, or visiting on a weekday, remains the most reliable way to find a spot without circling. Areas outside the Valley, like Tuolumne Meadows or Wawona, tend to stay calmer even on a busy day. Most day traffic, after all, funnels toward the Valley floor instead.
The change is a reversal, not a permanent policy. Yosemite ran a version of the timed-entry system the year before, then reviewed how that season’s traffic actually behaved before making the 2026 call, per the National Park Service. So a 2026 trip does not need the entry reservation, but a future season could bring a similar system back if conditions change. It is worth a quick check of the park’s reservations page a few weeks before you travel, just in case the rules shift again.
Does Yosemite lodging require a reservation?
Yes, and it books separately from camping and the Half Dome permit. Yosemite’s in-park lodging, including Yosemite Valley Lodge, The Ahwahnee and Curry Village, is run through the park concessionaire rather than recreation.gov. Because summer weekend rooms are limited and popular, the safest approach is to book as soon as your travel dates are set instead of waiting until closer to the trip. If in-park lodging is full, towns like Mariposa, Oakhurst and El Portal sit just outside the park boundary and put you within a short drive of the entrance gates.
How does the Half Dome lottery work?
The Half Dome permit is required seven days a week whenever the cables are up. That season runs from the Friday before Memorial Day through the day after the second Monday in October, per the National Park Service. About 225 day hikers are allowed up the cables each day, so demand outpaces supply fast. Planning ahead, therefore, matters here more than almost anywhere else in the park.
Most hikers apply during the preseason lottery, open March 1 through March 31 Eastern time. Winners then get notified in mid-April. If you miss that window, a daily lottery runs two days before each hiking date instead. Applications open from midnight to 4 p.m. Pacific, and results post that same night. Either way, the $10 application fee is non-refundable. The $10-per-person permit fee, however, refunds if you cancel by 11:59 p.m. Pacific the day before your hike.
When do Yosemite campground reservations open?
From April through October, all 13 Yosemite campgrounds run on reservations booked through recreation.gov, per the National Park Service. Sites in the busiest loops sell out within minutes of release. Reservations are capped at two per website visit or phone call, so a group needing several sites has to plan ahead for who books what.
Yosemite Valley Campground Reservations
Upper Pines, Lower Pines, North Pines, Wawona and Hodgdon Meadow all open five months ahead. They release on the 15th of the month, per the National Park Service. Upper Pines is the largest of the three Yosemite Valley campgrounds, with 240 individual sites across several loops. It is worth trying first if your dates are flexible enough to take whatever loop opens up.
Tuolumne Meadows Campground Reservations
Meanwhile, half of the Tuolumne Meadows sites open two months out. Bridalveil Creek, Crane Flat, Tamarack Flat, White Wolf, Yosemite Creek, Porcupine Flat and the rest of Tuolumne Meadows release on a rolling two-week window instead, per the National Park Service. Camp 4, the walk-up favorite for climbers, runs on a one-week rolling window. That makes it the easiest reservation to land when a trip comes together fast, since you are never waiting more than seven days for a shot at a site.
Yosemite Timed Entry Reservations 2026
A timed-entry reservation for 2026 does not belong on the list at all, because it no longer exists. Any site charging you for one is selling something the park does not require, per the National Park Service. Winter camping planning can also wait, since Camp 4, Wawona and Hodgdon Meadow switch to first-come, first-served outside the main season. Only holiday weekends tend to fill those three. Trying to book more than two sites in one sitting matters least of all. Mainly because recreation.gov will not let you — the system caps every visit or call at two reservations, no matter how many people are in your group.
Yosemite Reservation Tips
I book the Half Dome permit before anything else on a Yosemite trip. It runs on its own once-a-year preseason lottery, and a missed March window means waiting on the much tighter daily lottery instead. Camping comes next, the moment the five-month window opens for your travel dates, because Upper Pines and the other Valley loops sell out within minutes. The entrance fee, by contrast, needs no advance planning now that the timed-entry system is gone. Pay it at the gate and go.
For a broader look at national park logistics before you pack, our Glacier Point guide and Crater Lake National Park guide both break down entrance fees and timing the same way.
Frequently asked questions about Yosemite reservations
Do you need a reservation to drive into Yosemite in 2026?
No. The park discontinued its season-wide entrance reservation system for 2026, so a valid entrance pass is all you need to drive in, per the National Park Service.
How much does the Half Dome permit cost?
It costs a $10 non-refundable application fee plus $10 per person if you receive a permit, per the National Park Service. The per-person fee refunds if you cancel by 11:59 p.m. Pacific the day before your hike.
When do Yosemite campground reservations open?
Most Yosemite Valley campgrounds, including Upper Pines and Lower Pines, open five months ahead on the 15th of the month. A handful of sites open on a rolling two-week or even one-week window instead, per the National Park Service.
Which Yosemite campgrounds are first-come, first-served?
During winter, Camp 4, Wawona and Hodgdon Meadow switch to first-come, first-served, per the National Park Service. They can still fill on holiday weekends despite the winter slowdown.
An America the Beautiful or Yosemite annual pass covers entrance fees. The Half Dome permit is a separate lottery-based booking with its own fee, per the National Park Service.
Does Yosemite Valley Lodge require a reservation?
Yes. In-park lodging like Yosemite Valley Lodge and The Ahwahnee is booked through the park concessionaire, not recreation.gov, so it runs on a separate system from camping and the Half Dome permit entirely.
Prices are approximate, current as of publication, and change frequently — confirm the latest price with the park, operator or provider before you go.
Updated September 20, 2026.