Yosemite, other national parks face overcrowding after dropping entry reservations: ‘Felt like a day at Disneyland’
Yosemite National Park and other national parks have eliminated entry reservations for 2026, leading to significant overcrowding. This change has resulted in long wait times and full parking lots, reminiscent of peak tourist seasons before the pandemic. Park officials are now facing challenges in managing visitor flow and congestion as the summer season approaches.
- ▪Yosemite's visitation numbers in March increased by 45% compared to the previous year.
- ▪Entrance station backups of up to 90 minutes were reported during the first weekend of May.
- ▪Visitors have described the experience as feeling like a day at Disneyland due to overcrowding.
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Travel Yosemite, other national parks face overcrowding after dropping entry reservations: ‘Felt like a day at Disneyland’ By Brooke Steinberg Published May 21, 2026, 12:34 p.m. ET See more of our coverage in your search results. Add The New York Post on Google Yosemite National Park and other national parks across the country have dropped their entry reservations for 2026 — and are now facing problems with overcrowding. Back in February, Arches, Glacier and Yosemite parks all announced they were either getting rid of or scaling back on their vehicle reservations. That change has led to congestion at the popular parks, and travelers are facing unrestricted peak-season traffic — something that they have mostly managed to avoid since the pandemic era.
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