- Time needed
- 8h
- Price
- From $20
- Official ticket
- Best time
- Early morning or late afternoon for Yosemite Valley viewpoints; arrive before 8 am when driving spring through fall to secure parking.
Yosemite is emphatically worth it for its granite walls, waterfalls, sequoias and high country—but it works best when you treat Yosemite Valley as one part of a very large park and arrive early enough to park once. A first visit needs at least one full day for the Valley; allow two or more days to add Glacier Point, Mariposa Grove or Tuolumne Meadows.
Before you go
Pay entry; do not reserve
Yosemite has no general timed-entry reservation in 2026: pay the $35 private-vehicle entrance fee at the cashless station or use a qualifying pass, and do not buy supposed entry tickets from resellers.
MoreArrive in the Valley before 8am
From spring through fall, Valley parking is usually full after 8am, and late arrivals can face long entrance delays, gridlock and diversion out of the Valley.
MorePark once and use the shuttle
Leave the car at Yosemite Village, Curry Village or near Yosemite Falls, then use the free Valley shuttle, walk or cycle instead of repeatedly driving between viewpoints.
MoreMatch plans to seasonal roads
Choose May–June for powerful waterfalls, July–September for Tioga Road and the high country, or winter for a quieter snow-season Valley; Tioga and Glacier Point roads can close seasonally or abruptly in storms.
More
What one visit covers
Yosemite Valley
~480 min · Included with park entrance; arrive before 8am in spring through fall, then park once and use the free shuttle.
Mariposa Grove
~240 min · Included with park entrance; allow two to four hours including shuttle or road access.
Glacier Point Road and Glacier Point
Included with park entrance when the road is open; access is seasonal and can close during storms.
Tuolumne Meadows and Tioga Road
Included with park entrance when Tioga Road is open; the eastern approach is typically closed from roughly November to May or June.
Hetch Hetchy Reservoir
Included with park entrance, but Hetch Hetchy Road is sunrise-to-sunset only and is not a route through to Yosemite Valley.
Contact & hours
- nps.gov
- 209/372-0200
- yose_web_manager@nps.gov
- 4726 Mariposa Grv Trl, Fish Camp, CA 93623
- X (x.com/YosemiteNPS)YouTube (youtube.com/channel/UCwkUF9h5au_mbn0gXK3n8kg)Facebook (facebook.com/YosemiteNPS)Instagram (instagram.com/yosemitenps/)
Open 24 hours
Yosemite National Park is open 24 hours per day, 365 days per year.
Hours from the National Park Service; check before you go.
About
Yosemite National Park is a roughly 1,200-square-mile Sierra Nevada park of granite cliffs, glacial valleys, waterfalls, giant-sequoia groves, rivers, alpine meadows and extensive backcountry. Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove were first protected for public use by the Yosemite Grant in 1864, and Congress established the national park in 1890; the landscape had long been inhabited, traveled and tended by Ahwahneechee and other Native peoples before their violent mid-19th-century displacement.
Few parks put landmarks such as El Capitan, Half Dome, Yosemite Falls, the Merced River and giant sequoias within reach of a first visit while also offering genuine wilderness beyond the roads. It suits first-time park visitors, photographers, families able to use shuttles and short walks, climbers and hikers; treat Yosemite Valley as the scenic core rather than the whole park. Skip or postpone if you need spontaneous summer parking, dislike traffic and queues, cannot arrive early, or require reliably step-free access to every major viewpoint.
Before you go
Questions worth settling
Do I need a reservation to enter Yosemite National Park?
No general timed-entry reservation is required in 2026. You must still show a valid park pass or pay the entrance fee at an entrance station. Do not buy a supposed Yosemite entry reservation from a reseller. Official policy: https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/reservations.htm
How much is Yosemite entry, and how do I pay?
The National Park Service charges $35 for a private vehicle (valid for seven consecutive days), $30 for a motorcycle, or $20 per visitor age 16+ entering on foot, bike, horse, or qualifying noncommercial bus/van; children 15 and under are free. Entrance stations are cashless, so bring a major credit card or mobile payment. Official fees: https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/fees.htm
Are there extra fees for international visitors?
Yes. Non-US residents age 16+ are subject to an additional $100 per-person non-resident fee, in addition to the applicable standard entrance fee, unless admitted with an annual or America the Beautiful pass. Confirm the current rule and exemptions before traveling: https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/fees.htm
What is the best way to avoid Yosemite Valley traffic and parking problems?
Drive into Yosemite Valley before 8 am in spring through fall, especially on weekends and holidays. Park once at Yosemite Village, Curry Village, or near Yosemite Falls, then use the free shuttle, walk, or cycle. Parking is commonly full after 8 am; afternoon entrance waits can exceed an hour and Valley traffic delays can reach two to three hours. Traffic guidance: https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/traffic.htm
Can I visit Yosemite without a car?
Yes. YARTS serves the Highway 120 west, Highway 140, and Highway 41/Fresno–Oakhurst corridors year-round, with seasonal service from the east side. In Yosemite Valley, free Valleywide shuttles generally run about every 12–22 minutes from 7 am to 10 pm; East Valley shuttles run about every 8–12 minutes during the same period. There is no public transportation to Hetch Hetchy and no luggage storage in Yosemite. Plan routes at https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/publictransportation.htm
Which entrance should I use, and can I drive in from the east year-round?
Use Arch Rock/Highway 140 from Merced for the most direct all-year Valley approach; Big Oak Flat/Highway 120 from Groveland and the Bay Area; South Entrance/Highway 41 from Fresno or Oakhurst; and Tioga Pass/Highway 120 from Lee Vining or Mammoth Lakes only when Tioga Road is open. Tioga Pass is usually closed roughly November to May or June, cutting off eastern access and through-driving. Check routes and current road status before departure: https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/driving.htm. Hetch Hetchy is not a shortcut to Yosemite Valley and its entrance is open sunrise to sunset only.