Yosemite plans to end reservation system soon, despite region's climbing COVID cases

Sierra Star - 9/8/2021

Sep. 9—Yosemite National Park is on track to end its day-use reservation system at the end of this month.

Yosemite said the temporary system would only be in place through Sept. 30, "or until local public health conditions improve" due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, when it reinstated the reservation system earlier this year. Yosemite's website still states the same.

Yosemite spokesman Scott Gediman said day-use reservations will end Sept. 30 "as we announced earlier," in response to a question Wednesday about whether the reservation system might be extended to a later date.

Gediman said during a July update that park operations should return to more normalcy in the fall and winter.

Coronavirus, and the more contagious Delta variant, has been reported in Yosemite — also detected in park sewage — but Yosemite has not shared its number of COVID-19 cases, aside from being included in Mariposa County totals.

COVID-19 cases have risen dramatically in recent weeks in the nearby central San Joaquin Valley. The state on Friday issued a new hospital surge order in response to dwindling ICU beds in the Valley.

In Yosemite, the National Park Service requires everyone to wear a mask inside all NPS buildings "and in crowded outdoor spaces, regardless of vaccination status or community transmission levels."

Lisa Cesaro, regional marking director for Yosemite Hospitality, said the concessioner-operated facilities in Yosemite "are also asking all park visitors to wear masks inside public buildings such as hotel lobbies, gift shops etc."

Yosemite officials said in July that visitation levels were increasing to about 90% of normal, approximately 6,480 vehicles a day in the park.

Visitors still need day-use reservations via recreation.gov to enter Yosemite through the end of the month, unless they have an overnight lodging or camping reservation in the park, or a wilderness, Half Dome or climbing permit.

Those visiting Hetch Hetchy, or just driving through Yosemite, don't need a reservation to enter.

Reservations are required for all campgrounds in Yosemite this year. Yosemite campgrounds that don't require reservations, primarily along Tioga Road, aren't open.

There have been "very long lines" at Yosemite entrance gates. The $2 reservations to enter Yosemite, required in addition to normal entrance fees, must be purchased online. They are not available at park entrance stations.

There's also been traffic delays in Yosemite Valley, driven in part by the park's shuttle buses not operating this year due to staffing constraints.

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