Half Dome in Yosemite National Park
Sierra Sun Times file photo
August 15, 2024 - YOSEMITE VALLEY, Calif. – Yosemite National Park is seeking the public’s input on a plan to improve visitors’ access to and experience in the busy park during its peak season.
The visitor access management plan and environmental assessment (EA) includes three approaches, called alternatives, for proactively managing visitor access to help meet long-term resource protection, visitor experience, and park operational management goals. The park’s preferred alternative is to implement a parkwide daily reservation system during peak hours.
"This is an opportunity to help shape Yosemite's future," said Park Superintendent Cicely Muldoon. “We know that the best time for many visitors to come to the park is during the summer season when the weather is optimal for outdoor adventures. We want to make sure that everyone gets a chance to enjoy the park and stay safe, and not suffer through endless traffic jams and long waits.”
The public comment period ends Sept. 30. This comment period is the third and final opportunity to provide input on the plan.
The draft management plan and EA were prepared to provide analysis and an opportunity for public comment to support informed decision-making. The draft plan and environmental assessment, as well as other plan information, are available on the NPS Planning, Environment and Public Comment (PEPC) website at parkplanning.nps.gov/YosemiteVisitorAccess. Click “Open for Comment” to submit a response.
A virtual public meeting will be held on Thursday, August 22 at 4 p.m. PDT and additional public meetings will be held in gateway communities the week of September 9. NPS staff will be on-hand to answer questions and share information. For more information, click on “Meeting Notices” in the project website.
From 2014 to 2019, the park piloted different management strategies including restricting access to East Yosemite Valley when parking lots reached capacity and actively managing parking at other popular locations. From 2020 to 2022 and again in 2024, the park piloted day-use reservation systems for the entire park.
During the first two rounds of public engagement for this plan during the winter of 2022/2023 and summer 2023, the park received around 6,000 letters. The comments helped inform the development of management concepts, refine issue statements, strategies, and concepts under consideration.
Data gathered during these periods helped inform a range of alternatives to alleviate the chronic congestion that has affected Yosemite for more than 50 years and to provide quality visitor access in the future.
You can find current information about the public comment period for the visitor access management plan our website: https://parkplanning.nps.gov/yosemitevisitoraccess.
Source: NPS
