Yosemite National Park
Sierra Sun Times file photo

January 11, 2018 –  After 2016's record setting number of visitors to Yosemite National Park, 2017's recreation visitors to Yosemite was down by 15.1% year over year.
Yosemite had 4,268,149 recreation visitors in 2017 compared to 5,028,870 recreation visitors in 2016. 

The Arch Rock Entrance Station (Mariposa -Highway 140) had an increase of visitors by auto of 17% compared to 2016.
December 2017 visitors by auto was down 17% compared to December 2016.
  
The Big Oak Flat Entrance Station (Groveland - Highway 120) had a decrease of visitors by auto of 24.5% compared to 2016. 
December 2017 visitors by auto was down 35.6% compared to December 2016.
  
The South Entrance (Oakhurst - Highway 41) had a decrease of visitors by auto of 15.1% compared to 2016.
December 2017 visitors by auto was down 20.9% compared to December 2016.

The East Entrance (Tioga Pass) had a decrease of visitors by auto of 31.1% compared to 2016. 
The Tioga Pass entrance was greatly affected this year with the late opening of the pass due to heavy winter snows. June of 2016 had 181,439 visitors by auto while this year with the pass closed until June 29th only 6,105 visitors by auto were counted. This is a 96.6% decrease.

The total recreation visitors to Yosemite National Park for December 2017 was down by 27.8% compared to December 2016. 

Possible reasons for the decrease in visitors this year were the large number of fires that were burning in the area of the entrances, some entrances being closed periodically due to rock slides, collapsing of roads and the late opening of Tioga Pass due to heavy winter snows.



Source: NPS