Yosemite Summer 2023 - Prepare Yourselves! - Not your typical summer. Watch before you visit! 

Today is 6-28-23 and I was just there on 6-25-23 and 6-26-23 and I wish I would have seen this video before arriving! She is not exaggerating people this place is packed! We stayed in Fish Camp California and the drive to the park is one hour. The first day we arrived by 7:00am and there was a huge line that took another hour to pay to get into the park. We drove down to the Valley and the rangers closed that entrance and made us park along the side of the road. It was a 3 mile hike just to get to lower Yosemite falls from our car. Yes there bus system is running but the wait is at least 45 min and if no one get off you can’t get on.! Despite the traffic and the huge crowds we had a great time!

Not a rant, this is balanced and it's good to have the heads up. I've heard that it was crowded and the traffic bad, but had no idea how bad. Good to know...but also very sad. Very much hope a reservation system returns and that the shuttle buses could be adequately maintained, repaired and staffed so that those would be an option.

Was there yesterday. We got into the valley by 7:30am w no wait and found easy parking at Yosemite lodge Shuttle stop #1. Camped at Summerdale just outside the entrance. They key is to GET THERE EARLY

I just visited Yosemite last week in October. I drove from Sacramento and arrived at 10am, Easy and quick getting in. I headed to the visitor center for food. All went smoothly. Along the way easy parking and not crowded. Not busy at all considering. Best visits are the non summer ones!

This is insane. Why would anyone in their right mind call this a vacation? MY hats off to you for putting up with this situation to keep us informed of the insanity of people.

I visited Yosemite on July 23-24. We arrived at 3:30pm, and there were no lines to enter. Went to see the sequoias, no lines for the shuttle. At 6 pm we parked at Tunnel View. Ate dinner and stayed at Yosemite Valley Lodge, and it was wonderful! The next day we rented a bike, and explored the valley. Arrive late, stay in the park, and rent a bike.

We went June 23-26 and stayed at hotel just outside of the entrance. Made sure to get our butts to the park by 730am both of our full days. Grabbed the first parking available and didn’t move the car. Smartest move we made. Get there early.

They need to bring back the reservation system to preserve the park and make the experience more enjoyable for everyone who visits.

We planned to spend 4 days there in Jun 23; postponed until Oct 24. Stuff like this suggests that was the right call. We’ll be there during the week, and staying at the Valley lodge. Hoping these steps will mitigate the crowd problem.

*It's nice to get out in the wilderness away from people...* 😄

So glad you posted this. I keep hearing how crowded it is and this has helped me to plan and be prepared. Thanks

My boyfriend and I went during Memorial Day weekend (May 27) we didn’t know that one of the entrances was closed which added 2 hours to get to the open entrance. When we got about 4 miles to the entrance there was a line that we waited in for about 4 1/2 hours. We finally got inside the park at 3 pm, and then drove around looking for parking for who knows how long. A total disaster.

I just spent five weeks volunteering in the valley. The crowds and traffic were horrible, worse than I've ever seen in 40 years of going to Yosemite. Very stressful. The boss said that the day use reservation system can't be made permanent without being passed by Congress after a public comment period, which could be two years. In the meantime, people are destroying the park by parking in the bushes along the side of the roads. Contact your Congressmen and maybe we can get something done sooner. The previous day use reservation system was allowed as a covid emergency rule.

Didn’t sound like a rant and lots of very useful information to help make the trip enjoyable. I’ve been wanting to return for a while but have been put off by the prospect of dealing with crowds. This was a nice overview of strategies to avoid the kinds of aggravations that can make a trip become a tale of woe. Nicely done, thanks.

It was really nice having the reservation system the last few years. It made visiting in the summer so much nicer for those of us that live fairly close. We are back to visiting the valley on shoulder seasons.

This was a very nice and VERY useful video. Good job getting this information out for any upcoming visitors. Too bad it is so crowded but it is one of the most beautiful places on our planet so folks are going to go there.

I drove up in early May. Wanted to see the water and lucked out that a campsite was available-it was snowing so I’m sure someone had cancelled. Got to the entrance gate just before 7 PM, only two cars ahead of me. Drove in, caught some amazing light on half dome as the snowstorm was clearing out. Camped in the back of the Jeep, which was suboptimal. Drove over to Curry right at 7 am for coffee, took in all the sights, and was back at the entrance by 9:30. By that time the backup at the gate was at least a mile.

I’m leaving in 3 weeks for stay In curry village so I appreciate your video! I hope we get parking and we will Definitely bring our bikes now!

Thank you for your feedback and activism. I have also participated in the YNP comments process which is, “my understanding”, part of a multi year effort to better manage park resources. However, if there ever was a time to implement a “temporary” emergency contingency plans it is now. If I receive any feedback from park managers addressing our concerns I’ll forward it to you. Love and respect to you.

I was there in Yosemite on July 1, 2023 (July 4th weekend). I had only 1 day for Yosemite because I was about to end my 30 day trip in US. I parked my car just outside the South Entrance at a random resting spot on the road at midnight a night before. Slept for a few hours in the car. Woke up at 5am. Started driving by 5:30am & reached the Curry village parking around 6:30am. It was practically full & I managed to get one of the few final spots left. I had Half Dome hike planned for the day. So after having breakfast & packing my food/water/bag for the day, I left for the hike, only to realize that the parking was a mile away from the trail head & I would either need to walk or take a bus. I decided to wait for the bus & was 3rd in line.The bus took 30 mins to reach our station & it was full (at 7:45am). 3 people got out & the driver allowed only 3 people to get in. I got in. I did the Half Dome hike that day. Walked 19 miles over 12 hours, crossed 2 beautiful waterfalls (Vernon & Nevada falls). Had a really beautiful outdoor day. But for all of that to happen, YOU GOTTA WAKE UP EARLY & FIND A PARKING.

Thank you for your video. Full of useful information for everyone going there. Very beautiful place to visit!!! ❤

Awesome! and thanks for sharing : )

This video is very helpful. Thank you!

Great information! NOWHERE had I heard/read about the text alert system. Even though we like to plan & hike on our own, I am glad that we have booked full day tours for 2 of our 4 days.

Thanks for posting this video, I subscribed to your channel!

Thank you so much for this video.

These are great tips. thank you

This video is excellent tips n warning for those who plan to go visit the place. Thanks to this video.

As a vetreran visitor to Yosemite. Yesterday was the worst I’ve seen Yosemite so congested, idiots parking anywhere and everywhere, pedestrians disregarding safety .Entrance to the park from I41 was a mile long and once people were in the valley it was another half mile just to Start going around the valley From Glacier point/tunnel view entrance. Luckily for us we came through Evergreen Road and only got to see the madness as we were leaving the park at 3pm.

Used to live about 2 hours away, and visited Yosemite regularly from the early 90's to the early 2010's. Always midweek, but also usually during the absolute busiest time - in the spring for the waterfalls. If our plans included going into the valley, get to the gate by 8, and into the valley about 45 minutes later. Back then, it helped to have a pass, because they usually had a separate line for pass holders. Head straight to the village and park as close to it as possible. DO NOT stop to sightsee on the way in. Always had our bikes with us, so the car was parked for the day. If bringing guests, it's easy enough to rent bikes. As noted, it's a HUGE mistake to try and move your car, you'll likely never find another spot. Most of the major sites in the valley are accessible by bike. We'd stop near El Capitan on the way out to watch the climbers for a while, and possibly visit Bridalvail Fall as the sun was going down, much less crowded than mid day. I know it's been a while, and of course it was always pretty busy, but it NEVER felt as crowded and claustrophobic as in this video, as long as we stuck to the plan. Can also make a full day out of driving and hiking Glacier Point Road, or Tuolumne Meadows, and deal with a fraction of the traffic and crowds in the valley. DO NOT try and combine any 2 of these 3 major locations in a single day. They're too far apart, and you'll spend WAY TOO MUCH of your day sitting in the car. A full day, or more, should be devoted to each of the three. If you don't want to deal withe th potential nightmare that often happens in the valley, go to one of the other locations - you can get a "wilderness" experience simply by getting a mile or so away from the road. It doesn't have to be anywhere near as bad as what's shown here.

Thanks for the info! I have trip booked for July, flying across the country for this, hopefully we can enjoy it despite the crowds 🤞🏽

I'd heard about all the people/cars/traffic at Yosemite but had not seen video like this before. Thanks so much for putting it in perspective. Honestly, I don't have a desire to put up with the crowds, sorry to say.

We went on August 17. Left Bridgeport at 6:45 am, hardly any traffic on Tioga Pass, picked up a hitch hiker, stopped about 5 times to take pictures, arrived at the valley with zero traffic jams and found a parking space after a couple of minutes right next to the visitors center at 11:30 am.

this was very helpful, I will be going in a week for the first time and want to be prepared for the crowds

We were just there two weekends ago. Hubby wanted to ride a motorcycle through Yosemite. Thank goodness I talked him out of it, because I was quite comfortable sitting in a car with AC, especially while we were in line "waiting". We weren't even able to park in the valley because of the traffic.

Super helpful! Thank you for sharing this valuable information.

True. We brought our bikes, so we were able to ride the several miles from our parking spot to the many gorgeous scenes in Yosemite.

We were in Yosemite yesterday Sunday 7/09/23. We got there at 8:00 am got into the park within a few minutes. There was plenty of parking to get the free shuttle which then takes you to explore the giant trees. Amazing experience.❤😊

Thank you!!!!!!!! This is exactly what I was looking for. So many ppl say to arrive places early but never say exact times or what that means.

glad i went in the winter, will be back in the fall for the colors.

Wow I got lucky being in Yosemite during the summer weekday seeing all those crowds waiting in line for the transit bus in the video. You must have went on weekend for sure .

Your photos are beautiful! So beautiful in fact, that I have no desire to venture to Yosemite. Ever. Don't need the aggravation when there are so many beautifully done videos and photos out there.

Thank you!

went last Thursday, 6/22 12:30pm, short line at the entrance, Yosemite Lodge parking lot still had a few spaces. DO NOT GO on Fri/Sat/Sun

I've been to Yosemite many times over the years and absolutely love that place. We generally avoid the Valley if we can. The Tuolumne Meadows area of the park is more of a backcountry area and much of it is above 7500 feet asl. Very beautiful area. You can also explore the areas on the road up to Glacier Point, pretty nice there also but Glacier Point Parking lot is a nightmare.

I was just there on Wednesday the 28th of June. Spent the previous evening at Ninis cottage in Fish Camp (Great Airbnb at the light gauge railroad with everything you would need) and left at 8:30 am the morning of Wednesday to drive into the park. Aside from a 20 minute wait to pay to enter the rest of it was a relative breeze. Traffic moved as it should. Quickly found parking at tunnel view without any wait, Bridal veil falls roadside parking was not an issue, then onto Sierra Village to begin the loop trail around Mirror Lake. Once at the village it was quite a bit more congested but I turned on my parking Karma and bada-bing a spot opened up and off we went. The water level in the lake was high due to the copious amount of water flowing down, and the hike around the loop was very uncongested and quiet due to a slide on the south side which kept many people away due to the flooding and ducking and hopping over and scrambling under downed trees required. Once back to the store and after a premade sandwich and delicious cherries and several cold beers we then drove to yosemite falls around 4 pm and parked in the basecamp lot, and again, easy breezy. The falls were pumping and we could not have asked for a better sight after an exercise filled day. The drive out was easy as well! Finished the day with an underwhelming Ribe-eye at Tenaya lodge, but hey, I am spoiled by Rutherford Grill in Napa Valley. We got lucky, I know :)

I loved this video. I have been multiple times a year. I am staying away this year because of the people. The reservation system was not without problems with people without reservations arriving and then causing problems in the surrounding communities. Gina, I loved your photography the way you showed the different animals, and scenery

Perfect description about everything! Just went there on 7/6. Left my city at 4 am and went thru the entrance at 8 am. BIKE should be mandatory, but I walked 15 miles and had so much fun!!

Just got back (June 30) spent 3 days , there were hoards of people, we were parked by 7:30 am, Mist trail was a long line . Water falls were crazy though. Don’t leave till after 7 pm.

This long weekend will be the most packed in Yosemite for sure.

So true! I went twice this year. Looong wait to get in. 1-2.5 hrs if you try to go in around 10-12pm

You are 100% correct. I have been to Yosemite twice this summer. It is crazy crowded but you cannot beat the beautiful waterfalls. If you go after 3 pm you can also beat the crowds.

Liked and subbed because this is made me re-think my birthday celebration in the winter. It might be less crowded but I don’t want to deal with that lol

I am ever so grateful that I don't need your warning, having been to Yosemite 2X's 40+ years ago, Once in the spring and the other in winter. Beautiful, awe inspiring scenery. Also, no crowds!😊 You have done a great service for people wanting to experience Yosemite, but if I were wanting to visit it now, I wouldn't after watching this video. All those cars! I have to say; "Shame on the National Park System for allowing this fiasco to happen" Kudos to you for a great video warning people yet sharing some scenery while you do so.👍👍👍

Thanks for this, if I go to Yosemite it will be when summer is over so it'll be less crowded!

I’ve been to Yosemite 30+ times. Only once did I go in summer. It was insane! I couldn’t get out of there fast enough! My favorite time to go was last week in October. Winter, spring and fall in Yosemite is awesome. Summer sucks!

Ty for information

Glad I got to enjoy Yosemite many times, being only 2 hrs away. Does not look like I will be going for a very long time. Altho the summer crowds have been bad for many years now. Glad to know other places close by that are close to being just as nice.

Appreciate you sharing the reality. I live near there and won’t go this year. Some sort of peak season reservation / limited entry is needed as well as more shuttles more often.

I appreciate all you had to say. We were there for the day on the 23rd and spent 3 hours in our car in stagnant traffic in the park. Once we were in we were lucky enough to find a spot at the visitor center. But, when we asked the Park Ranger for recommendations, she recommended that we didn’t come back the next day because the traffic would be worse! She did tell us though that they are going back to the reservation system for 2024 so that is good news. The park is beautiful, but there’s limited access (and that includes Sequoia and Kings Canyon as well).

Thanks for a wonderful educational video, this is really valuable especially for first time visitors with young kids. One question - how is last week of September,is it similarly crowded like peak summer ?

Useful info.

That’s the new world today! Everything - is maxed out, crowded.

And I am sure, tons of litter with it too! I went to Yosemite in August 2016. It wasn’t too packed at that time. It’s a beautiful place for sure!

Such an excellent, informative video! Thank you!! If i go there in early October, and arrive by 7am, should there be no major crowds you think?

Thank you for this heads up. It's hard enough to park on a normal summer day. Maybe it is time to ride Amtrak and Yarts. Not too easy to do. We've been bringing bikes for at least 20 years and we go to the park at the end of September, first week in October. I would skip it this year. I am a member of the Yosemite Conservancy and I would suggest that you donate since the funding is iffy these days. Please watch out for bears. So many are killed by cars and there are cubs with every mama bear. Try Lassen or Pinnacles this year. Yosemite is our favorite National Park and we've been going there since early childhood. Oakland CA 2023

8:00 a.m. is generous - we got there at 6:30 a.m. and it was filling up - on a Wednesday. By 7:15 the main lot was full.

My family and I went on July 2nd. We arrived around 7:45am. There was already a line to get in the park. Since I had little children with me parking and walking wasn't an option. However, people are coming and going continually so even though there were lots of people we found parking pretty easily at each spot we drove to.

We were there last week. No issues at all. Key is to arrive early.

This argument over limiting humans from visiting the park has been discussed relentlessly for well over 40+ years. What is it going to take for the NP system to resolve it once and for all? Can't people see how destructive and countrary this is to the already fragile ecosystem of Yosemite? Too many people are the problem. Limiting access is the only solution and has been for way too long.

we went there monday last week ,it was a smooth traffic flow...

Wow! I’m from Australia & my husband & I are currently planning our trip over to the U.S for August next year & we had planned to go to Yosemite because I loved it when I visited 30 years ago. But I think we’ll give it a miss now, such a shame.

Thank you so much for this video. It was very helpful making sure that I arrive really early. I am really grateful I have a campsite reserved. Given that I have a campsite that changes my ability to park. However, my campsite doesn’t open till noon. Will the park still let me in even though my reservation isn’t till noon? I’m arriving this Sunday, August 20 and my reservation is noon that day to noon on Thursday

thank you for the info!!!! we are not hikers etc. but would just love to drive from groveland to fish camp to oakhurst to fresno would you recommend going in the reverse direction? we don't plan on doing much stopping maybe something to eat and souvenir shop. we will be going mid august.

They should hire you! Good info.

Hi very informative! Thank you for that! Wondering what your thoughts about going there in mid October this year. Do you know if there are any sites for fall leaves watching?

was this during a weekend or weekday, I'm camping there this August Monday through wed 2024. also thanks for this video it will help with peoples plans and certainly put my expections in check.

Here’s the best tip for anyone trying to visit Yosemite. (Was there 2 weeks ago) Go during the week, late May early June. The end.

Thanks so much for this video. I am driving from LA so I’m gonna book a hotel nearby instead

We arrived at the campground around 4pm, then took the bus to El Capitan Meadow and were surprised to see many cars were parked there in front of "No Parking Any Time" sign ...

Enjoyed the video and found it very useful. Q: So if a person can't make it in before 8am, what time would be a good/better time to enter during the afternoon? Would it be after 3pm?

we went there on labor day saturday -5/27/23. left the bay area about 9am (google maps says its 4 hour drive). Didn't get into the yosemite lodge in the valley till about 5:30pm, for a drive of ~190 miles or so. Several reasons appear to be contributing to the delay. There was essentially only one way into the valley - via 140. The road is one lane just past mariposa, iirc. The bottleneck at the gates is due mostly to people having to find their credit cards and having to hand it to the rangers for processing etc. We had an annual pass, and the rangers let us use an 'employee only' lane at the gate to scoot past. The valley traffic is in a loop, so if you don't park _before_ your target, you have to park too far (on the side of the road) or double back all the way. The area has seen significant forest growth, and drivers are reluctant to keep up speed. Occasionally there is stream water trickling onto the roadway- surprising drivers. The near term outlook for traffic would only be worse. The alternative entry from the NW is now open. Inside the valley, road to glacier point would be open from 7/1. These will only increase tourists. It might be best to try and get a reservation in the valley (incl such places as housekeeping camp), if feasible. Arrive there on a weekday evening. Park the car and use the bus to go point to point. The bicycles are available to rent, but they are about $40/daily and needs to be returned by 7:30pm each day (not kept overnight).

Great video!! Subbed!! This information will come in handy!! Heading up there sunday evening. And entering the park monday and tuesday I know its going to be crazy due to the 4th, do you think we will be able to find parking near yosemite falls if we get to the gate at 6?

That's insane. Went to Yosemite every summer growing up. Haven't even wanted to go back for the last 10 years. It's really sad what has happened to the park. 😢

Great video and thanks for the tips. Does anyone know if the traffic is better if you go to Yosemite during the weekday? Me and my friend are planning on driving down from San Francisco on a Wednesday. Do you still think we should arrive by 8am to avoid the traffic? Many thanks

Well... I was there in the week of September, no regrets, few people, no traffic, best weather! 80s top 45s low at night, no traffic, plenti of space, not crowded, just plan ahead and don't go when the herd goes lol, also falls still had plenty of water and the rivers nice to swim 😉

I guess she didn't know about the bus into Yosemite Valley. You would search for YARTS, which I think stands for Yosemite Area Regional Transport System, and I think you catch it in Merced. But you need accommodations reservations for staying overnight, or a wilderness permit to backpack...but you at least don't have a parking problem.

We will be traveling there on August and staying in curry village, arriving from a roadtrip after 5pm. hope it's not going to be such a line by that time...

The best part of Yosemite is leaving it over Donahue pass. Then continue until you reach Mount Whitney. Takes around 10-21 days depending on your fitness. Enjoy.

Is this for the day use or even the camping? I booked the curry village on August 30 and 31 . Thank you.

I haven’t been there in years! I’ve been wanting to go back

I plan on being there in the 4th week of May next year. Do you think crowds will be crazy at that time of year too? Should we plan to arrive before 8am in May? Cheers!

Driving your own car in seems like the worst way to go. I guess I can understand if you have a lot of gear..... I agree that they do need a reservation system since they're getting a lot of traffic in summer. It's a good problem to have, people should go out there and explore nature 🙂 Best way is to go to Merced and then take the YARTS bus. (It would help if they used dual buses for each run in summer....) Also, totally agree about bikes. If you can get a folding one that you can take on YARTS that would be great 🙂

It is sad that the process of Traveling several national parks these days is much more complicated. Many places You need to reserve time entry,which has to plan ahead like months prior. But Then there is still issue with parking, etc. I feel stressed out just to plan the vacation. 😢

Thanks for headsup we won’t be going to Yosemite this summer, there are many other great parks to visit

I made reservations hoping we’d see the waterfalls. Will be there 7/23. Now I’m wishing we had gone in the Fall like we usually do. 🤦🏻‍♀️

Wow, I've never seen Yosemite so packed and vehicles parking on the road like that when is not even meant for parking there. I was supposed to go back in 2020 but I had to cancel cause of COVID. Last time I was there was in 2016. Might go in 2024. Hopefully it won't be congested like that. Thank you for posting this info.

Went in early Sept., no problems, lots of people, but no real crowds. Didn't even have to wait in the Pizza line at Curry Village. Hiking was as normal. Once were were a couple miles up the trail, hardly anyone.

yup- parking lots are full by 10am and people are being turned away.

Its late July now, the east road is open now... been Snowboarding🏂 Mammoth in the morning, swimming in Yosemite lakes in the afternoons... it has not been that crowded