Yosemite National Park will require peak hours reservations beginning May 20. Photo via National Park Service

Yosemite National Park’s peak hours reservation portal will go live at 8 a.m. Wednesday.

Visitors can go to recreation.gov to make a reservation for peak hours — 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Reservations will be required beginning May 20 through Sept. 30. Each reservation is valid for three days and is required for all visitors, including annual and lifetime pass holders.

The reservations will be required seven days a week. Visitors entering the park outside of peak hours are not required to have a reservation, but they will be required to pay the park entrance fee. That pass is valid for three days outside of peak hours.

The reservations are valid for one vehicle and its occupants for a period of three days. Peak hours reservations are included for all visitors staying overnight in the park. This includes reservations for The Ahwahnee Hotel, Yosemite Valley Lodge, Curry Village, Wagon Hotel, Housekeeping Camp and National Park Service-managed campgrounds. The reservations are also included for all visitors with wilderness and Half Dome permits and visitors entering the park via YARTS buses and on permitted commercial tours.

The reservations are meant to preserve the environment and natural habitat of the park while also ensuring a positive visitor experience. While National Parks saw a 20% increase in visitation over the past 10 years, 2021 had an increase of 25% visitation alone, according to the National Park Service.

The reservations are meant to decrease wait times at entrances, free up parking and allow for the free flow of traffic.

“A visit to Yosemite should be about enjoying the beautiful granite-lined landscape, not sitting in gridlock,” said Yosemite National Park Superintendent Cicely Muldoon. “Yosemite visitors deserve a high-quality experience in this magnificent place. Our goal with the peak hours system is to ease overcrowding during the busiest times this summer while still offering access for all.”