More Visitors, Less Waiting: Yosemite Survey Shows Strong Peak-Season Visitor Experience

News Release Date: August 28, 2026
Contact:Department of the Interior Office of Communications

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. - More people are visiting Yosemite National Park this year, but they aren't spending more time waiting.

Preliminary results from a new peak-season visitor survey found 96% of visitors rated their recreational experience in Yosemite as good or excellent, while 91% reported waiting less than 15 minutes to enter the park or experiencing no entrance delay at all.

The results come as Yosemite is welcoming increased visitation while using new technology, improved entrance operations, active traffic management and added parking and shuttles to help visitors spend less time waiting and more time experiencing the park.

Even with strong visitation, Yosemite's natural environment remains incredibly healthy. Ninety-five percent of the park is federally protected wilderness, and the vast majority of visitors stay on pavement and a few short trails. The park will continue rigorous monitoring and hands-on resource management to protect the outstanding natural and cultural resources of Yosemite.

"Yosemite has been popular for over a hundred years, and that's worth celebrating," said Yosemite National Park Superintendent Ray McPadden. "We want to make it easier for people to experience this incredible place. What we learned this summer is that there are many ways to solve problems. Covid-era access restrictions are not necessary for a successful summer. We're welcoming more visitors while using smarter traffic management, better technology, added parking and shuttles, and real-time information to keep people moving. These survey results show that approach is working, and our team is going to keep innovating to make the Yosemite experience even better."

Washington State University conducted the in-person survey Aug. 7-16, during the busy summer travel season and before many schools returned to session. Researchers collected 1,203 responses from visitors at locations throughout Yosemite.

The preliminary findings show:

96% rated their recreational experience good or excellent, including 67% who rated it excellent.

• 91% experienced no entrance delay or waited less than 15 minutes.
• 56% said they spent less time looking for parking than they expected.
• Only 11% said finding parking took somewhat or much too long.

The survey provides a snapshot of the visitor experience during a period when Yosemite traditionally experiences some of its highest demand. It was also conducted during hot, dry summer conditions when the park's waterfalls were at seasonally lower flows.

A popular park, a better way to manage it

Crowds at Yosemite aren't new. For nearly a century, Americans have flocked to the park during summer vacations, holidays and other popular travel periods. Newspaper accounts were describing Yosemite Valley parking as an urgent problem as early as 1927.

What's changing is how Yosemite manages that popularity.

Traffic gridlock days once exceeded 120 annually. In 2026, Yosemite experienced only two days with significant traffic delays, both during Memorial Day weekend. Other traditionally busy periods, including Juneteenth holiday weekend and July 4 holiday period, occurred without major traffic delays.

In late June, the park added shuttles and expanded Yosemite Valley parking by repurposing previously disturbed administrative areas. During the July 3-5 holiday weekend, traffic remained free-flowing and shuttle waits were generally short.

Those improvements have come as visitation has increased.

The park has expanded the use of digital passes, fast lanes and upgraded entrance processing to move vehicles through entrance stations more efficiently. Yosemite also became the first national park to publish continuously updated real-time visitor information, including entrance wait times, giving visitors information they can use to make decisions before and during their trips.

And Yosemite isn't stopping there.

The park is piloting an Integrated Visitor Information System that will bring together real-time information and distribute it across visitor-facing platforms, including the park website, NPS App, road condition hotline, public information maps, changeable message signs, alerts, social media and displays serving gateway communities.

The park is also developing technology to provide real-time parking information.

Cameras can be used to count vehicles entering and leaving parking areas, allowing the park to communicate parking availability to visitors and help them make informed decisions before joining traffic headed toward a full lot. The system is designed solely to count vehicles for visitor information and traffic management and is not connected to law enforcement systems.

Together, these efforts are designed to create a more connected visitor experience: better information, fewer surprises and more time enjoying Yosemite.

Plan ahead and enjoy Yosemite

America's national parks are open and accessible, and strong visitation reflects continued public interest in experiencing these treasured places.

Yosemite will always have busy days. Temporary traffic delays can occur during periods of especially high demand, particularly on summer weekends and holidays. Visitors can make the most of their trip by planning ahead, arriving early, considering a midweek visit, using the Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System and checking current park information before traveling.

The Washington State University survey results are preliminary and represent an initial snapshot of visitor perspectives during the Aug. 7-16 survey period. The university and National Park Service are continuing to analyze the results, and additional findings will be available as that work is completed.

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