When Will Pattiz learned that Yosemite was eliminating its timed-entry system, he experienced a flashback to 2023.
That year, the California national park had halted the reservation system it had implemented in 2020 to control crowds. During their visit, Pattiz and his wife spent more than 2½ hours in a line of cars, creeping toward the entrance. Once in the park, they watched sandaled visitors dangerously slip-and-slide at Lower Yosemite Falls. Nearby, a law enforcement ranger administered a Breathalyzer to a young parkgoer in possession of a beer. A procession of cars beeped with glee at the “Cops” scene.
“Yosemite was pandemonium,” said Pattiz, a filmmaker and public lands advocate who co-founded More Than Just Parks with his brother Jim. When he returned the following year, after Yosemite had reinstated the protocol, he said, he could feel the park “breathing again.”
This summer, national park insiders warn that visitors could face overcrowding because of a rollback of reservation systems at some of the country’s most popular public lands. Mount Rainier National Park in Washington state dropped the requirement in January. Yosemite, Glacier National Park in Montana and Arches National Park in Utah recently announced their decision to drop them. The reservation systems had been a seasonal solution activated during peak visitation months and for special natural spectacles, such as Yosemite’s Firefall.
Here’s everything you need to know about Firefall in Yosemite in 2026
What It Is: Firefall is the rare natural phenomenon where Horsetail Fall glows fiery orange as the setting sun hits it just right and it typically happens only in mid to late February, lasting around 5–15 minutes before sunset.
2026 Update: There is no special Firefall permit or timed-entry reservation required this year you just need your regular Yosemite National Park entrance pass to visit during Firefall season.
Park Entry: Everyone entering Yosemite still needs a valid park pass (daily pass or America the Beautiful annual). No Firefall-specific permit is needed as of early 2026 but things can change, so check before you go.
Where It Happens: This magic happens on Horsetail Fall on the east side of El Capitan when snowmelt and clear skies and perfect sun angle align just right. We’ve gone 3x and every year it’s truly unforgettable
What to Expect: 1⃣ MASSIVE crowds hundreds if not thousands of people gather early to secure viewing spots. 2⃣ Folks often arrive hours before sunset. 3⃣ There’s no guarantee you’ll see it even if you’re there for multiple nights
Parking & Access: Parking near the viewing area fills fast. You might need to park at Yosemite Falls lot or Yosemite Village and walk ~1.5 miles to the best spots, or take the park shuttle when it’s running.
Pro Tip: Firefall only works if Horsetail Fall is flowing and the sky is clear even a little cloud cover can ruin the glow.
Real Life vs. Social Media: These clips/photos were taken over 3 different years! Is Firefall on your travel bucket list!?
In a Feb. 18 news release, the National Park Service explained the reversal of the years-old measures as a means to increase access to public lands “while maintaining safe and responsible management during peak visitation.” The announcement includes Rocky Mountain National Park, though the Colorado park confirmed that it will use the same system as last year, from May 22 through mid-October.
“We’re expanding access where conditions allow and using targeted tools only where necessary to protect visitor safety, maintain emergency access and preserve these extraordinary places for future generations,” Kevin Lilly, acting assistant secretary for fish, wildlife and parks, said in the statement.
As part of its 2026 plan, Yosemite said it will rely on “active parking management” in Yosemite Valley, home of El Capitan, and post additional staff at key intersections during busy periods. Arches said it may temporarily restrict access to certain locations when parking areas top out. Starting July 1, Glacier will limit parking at Logan Pass to three hours. It will also test a Going-to-the-Sun Road express shuttle to Logan Pass — tickets required.
Supporters of the reservation system, however, said the benefits outweigh the inconveniences. Staggering visitors, they say, helps shorten lines at entrance gates, ease pressure on parking spots by trail heads and turnouts, loosen gridlock on scenic drives, safeguard flora and fauna, and improve the overall guest experience.
“Why vilify these reservation systems when all they were meant to do was not restrict access but make access better and the experience better?” said Linda Mazzu, a former superintendent of Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah and a board member at the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks. “You don’t want to come to a national park and drive around looking for a parking space like you’re in a Walmart.”
Diapers on the roadside, garlands of toilet paper
Crowding isn’t a new issue. Don Neubacher, a former superintendent at Yosemite, said the park has been grappling with congestion for at least half a century.
Concerns started to really escalate in 2020, when people seeking to social-distance outside their four walls converged on the national parks. Even after the threat of the coronavirus waned, people kept coming — nearly 331.9 million in 2024, which broke the 2016 record, according to the NPS.
Park staff and advocates say the reservation system isn’t a perfect antidote, but it has helped temper some of the chaos.
“When 4-plus million people use the park yearly, there’s bound to be a trace left behind,” said a union representative at Yosemite, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of a fear of retaliation. “It’s just much harder to hide that trace when there is unrestricted access.”
In 2023, the union steward’s first year at Yosemite, they witnessed a perp’s lineup of bad behaviors: fights over parking spots, diapers and beer bottles tossed on roadsides, cars parked in turnouts and meadows, toilet paper strewn like garlands, feces smeared on bathroom walls.
The intervening years were slightly more manageable, they said, but the most recent Presidents’ Day weekend might have been a summer preview.
During the first weekend of Firefall, when the setting sun transforms Horsetail Falls into a fiery curtain of molten lava, park authorities issued an alert that parking in Yosemite Valley was full and visitors should avoid entering the area. The warning didn’t stop the deluge.
“People frankly showed up here for Firefall and damned if they’re going to let anyone get in their way,” the union steward said.
The parks’ challenges could be compounded by staff shortages. The NPS laid off nearly 25 percent of its workforce last year as part of a broader downsizing of the federal government. The union representative said many employees are working the jobs of two or three people and tackling longer to-do lists.
For instance, in addition to collecting fees and distributing maps, staff members stationed in the entrance booths at select parks must also now ask visitors for their country of residence. As of Jan. 1, international travelers must pay $100 each on top of the per-vehicle entry fee at nearly a dozen destinations, including Glacier and Yosemite. It is unclear how this will impact summer crowds.
Pros and cons of the reservations system
Jeff Mow, superintendent of Glacier from 2013 to 2021, said the state of Montana originally requested a reservation system in 2021. Cars entering the park, the majority bound for Going-to-the-Sun Road, were backing up onto the state highway, creating a hazard. The reservation system wasn’t static, though. It evolved to reflect changes in visitors’ habits.
“It’s not just how the park manages visitation at that particular entrance station or checkpoint, but it’s also how visitors change their thinking and adapt to those changes,” Mow said. “It’s a very fluid dynamic.”
One of the biggest adjustments for vacationers, especially ones who follow their whims instead of a fixed itinerary, has been planning ahead.
A park’s reservation system typically opens weeks in advance, and spots can fill quickly. Rocky Mountain, for instance, releases its July passes on June 1, in addition to a second batch the night before one’s arrival date. At Acadia National Park in Maine, 30 percent of its Cadillac Summit Road permits become available 90 days before the reservation date; the remainder go online 48 hours in advance.
Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) condemned the advance reservation system as a burden on visitors.
“Utah’s parks belong to the people and experiencing them shouldn’t require months of planning,” Lee, chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, said in a statement on the day Arches announced the end of its timed-entry passes.
In its Traffic and Travel Tips section online, Arches advises visitors arriving during the busiest periods (spring through fall) to prepare for extended waits at entrance gates, packed trailhead parking lots before 8 a.m. and restricted access that could stretch for up to five hours. The park encourages people to stock up on snacks and drinks and use the restrooms before queuing up.
Arches National Park is beset with people and cars in the summer months. Winter is better, but the NPS is piloting a timed entry system to make summer logistics a little more predictable. #nationalparks #traveltiktok #utah #archesnationalpark #mightyfive #creatorsearchinsights
Check traffic webcams and ride the shuttle
To duck the crowds, be strategic.
Avoid the most popular times, such as summer weekends, holidays and peak hours.
“Here’s the trick for Arches: Go before sunrise,” said Jim Pattiz, co-founder of More Than Just Parks. “I would say 5 a.m. is the new 8 a.m.”
Mikah Meyer, who set a record by traveling to 419 NPS sitesin a single journey, recommends visiting between Aug. 15 through Sept. 15, when parkgoers can still enjoy summer access and conditions but may see fewer families because of return-to-school activities.
Before setting out, check the live traffic webcams on the national park’s website, and choose a different entrance, scenic route or hiking trail based on the report.
Stop going to the Southern Entrance of Yosemite
Waiting up to 2 hours just to enter the park itself is completely ridiculous when you can: • Completely skip the line • Go the more scenic route • Avoid complete chaos All by entering through the most northern entrance
Driving all the way to the most northern part of the park is something that I did not regret; it gave us the opportunity to see beautiful mountains, water views and there was not a single ounce of traffic! Bonus points if you rent/drive a convertible! All the vibes made this slightly longer drive so much more fun and enjoyable
SAVE this for your Yosemite trip and follow for more travel tips, destinations & hidden gems
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At Glacier, Meyer prefers the quieter east entrance over the more commercial west side. In Yosemite, he recommends Tuolumne Meadows, which afford views of Half Dome without the crush of people in the valley.
If the national parks are really slammed, the Pattiz brothers say to consider substitutes, such as Montana’s Flathead National Forest instead of Glacier or Bridger-Teton National Forest in place of Grand Teton National Park. If you have your passport on hand, Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta, Canada, abuts Glacier and forms one half of the transboundary Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park.
Meyer is a fan of national monuments, a designation that is often the final step to becoming a national park. He suggests Natural Bridges National Monument in Utah as a swap for Arches, Cedar Breaks National Monument for Bryce and Dinosaur National Monument in Colorado and Utah.
“There’s like never anybody there, no tour buses, no crowds,” Meyer said — just 1,500 dinosaur bones.
To reduce drive time and avoid traffic snarls, stay inside the park, in a lodge or campground. Or use the park’s shuttle system. The free Yosemite Valley Shuttle System runs two daily routes. There are also seasonal options, such as the Mariposa Grove shuttle and the Badger Pass shuttle, which bounces between Yosemite Valley and the ski area.
“These are places of wonder. These are places of respite. These are places where families want to enjoy some incredibly beautiful scenery,” former Bryce superintendent Mazzu said. “To not be able to do that when you’re so close, because you’re stuck in your car, is just really sad.”
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