by Donald Wood
Last updated: 1:41 PM ET, Thu November 17, 2022
Officials from Yosemite National Park announced the popular tourist destination would no longer require entry reservations.
According to the National Park Service, reservations will no longer be required to visit Yosemite during the summer of 2023, a decision that comes after the park added a reservation system due to the pandemic in the summers of 2020 and 2021.
The national park continued the reserved admission system into the summer of 2022 due to numerous attractions popular with travelers being closed for critical infrastructure repairs. Capacity was capped at about 70 percent of historic traffic.
While the removal of the reservation system is welcomed news to some, the National Park Service revealed it would start seeking input from the general public in December to design a new process that protects the visitor experience and Yosemite's natural and cultural resources.
"We want to build on what we've learned the last three summers on managed access," Yosemite spokesman Scott Gediman told ABC News. "Our goal in the end is to basically come up with a plan that sustains an outstanding visitor experience and protects the park resources."
In addition, Gediman said the park will be prepared for the influx of visitors in 2023, with staffing and services returning to nearly pre-pandemic levels. Many of the projects completed over the last two years will also improve vehicle flow.
Park officials still strongly recommend making reservations if planning an overnight stay at Yosemite, with the entrance fee costing travelers $35 per car.
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