Maybe Avoid Yosemite in 2022
I don’t want to be the guy who complains about National Parks. I don’t. And I recently complained about the insanity of Zion National Park. I promise I won’t make this a habit. But I do feel the need to inform you, as a Californian who frequents Yosemite. For some people, Yosemite is a once-in-a-lifetime trip. And this is not the year to take that trip. Here are three reasons why you should consider checking out other parks or places this year.
Glacier Point Road is Closed
Upper Yosemite is closed for 2022 (and into 2023). I love the upper part of Yosemite. Those are my favorite views and places to experience. You just absolutely cannot beat a sunrise at Glacier Point or sunset at Taft Point. The National Park has closed this road for restoration and repairs this year. In a normal year, this road opens in May and closes in late November. When it closed last winter in 2021, the plan was to close for all of 2022. What that really means though, is that it’s closed until May or so in 2023. Now, this road needs some love, and so does the land. I’m all for closures, because they’re necessary. But I’m also all for getting the most bang for your buck. If you’re traveling to Yosemite this year….maybe don’t. Details here.
Reservations Have Returned
After a wonderful year of reservations ending, Yosemite has restored what they implemented during the pandemic - the need to have a reservation to enter the park. This means that if you show up without a reservation, you will not be allowed to enter the park. How complicated is it to get a reservation? Well, it’s actually a little harder than you may think. They release a block of dates within a specific window, and a second chance only days before. Every date is going to sell out. So you absolutely must plan to be present on your screen when tickets become available, just as you would buying concert tickets you know will sell out. Details here.
My mother and I recently showed up to Yosemite, and I didn’t realize reservations had been reinstated for this year. We pulled up after driving all morning from the Bay Area to the park, and we were turned away. Fortunately, I had a connection to get in. We were able to enter after-all, so that was a blessing. But had I not had that connection, we would have driven a long way for nothing. Yes, this is my own fault and poor planning. But the point I’m making is that reservations complicate things. And as long as reservations are part of Yosemite (and maybe they will be indefinitely), you may want to consider another location.
Crowds are Huge
With reservations being a requirement to enter the park, you would think that maybe the crowds would be cut down. In 2020 when they implemented reservations, they limited the park capacity to 50%. I cannot even describe to you how amazing it was visiting Yosemite in 2020. But when I was there last week… you guessed it… massive crowds. Every parking lot was slammed. The loop was bumper to bumper around the entire park. Trying to park to hike to one of the waterfalls was a mess, and then the brief walk itself was so crowded. This is the new norm in many National Parks, unfortunately. You can read more of my thoughts on this on my post about Zion, so I’ll spare it here.
So when is the right time to avoid crowds? Well, that’s an entirely different blog. But in Yosemite, I’d say late fall is about the best time to go there. I’ve never had big crowds in the late fall. If you’re still trying to go this year after I’ve warned you, consider going in late November. Or 2023. You’ll be happier.
I love Yosemite. It’s definitely one of my favorite parks. I frequent it. I love shooting there so much. Tunnel View is one of the best views in the entire country. But if you are a planner and you want to plan an epic Yosemite experience, consider planning it for 2023 or later. I don’t think you’ll have that epic experience this year.