A Yosemite getaway turned into a stop-and-go ordeal for many visitors this past weekend, as people found themselves stuck in hours-long backups and inching through crowds at some of the park's most iconic spots.
The congestion followed Yosemite National Park's decision to drop its timed-entry reservation system following recent cuts to the National Park Service staffing levels, the New York Post reported.
It's a change that critics view as a return to the kind of peak-season gridlock Yosemite Valley used to see. For travelers, it meant wasted time and frayed nerves. For the park, it raised fresh questions about balancing access with protection.
The National Parks Conservation Association reported that the park service has lost nearly 25% of its workforce since January 2025 — over 4,000 staff. Meanwhile, national park visitation is at record highs.
According to the Post, some drivers waited in traffic for upward of 90 minutes before getting into the park. Social media posts showed Yosemite Valley packed with visitors.
Yosemite Superintendent Ray McPadden backed the move away from reservations, per the Post, saying, "We are committed to visitor access, safety, and resource protection." But many parkgoers described a very different reality on the ground.
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Visitor Lorena Calvillo wrote on Yosemite National Park's official Facebook page that the experience was "Gridlock. Cars everywhere. People everywhere. No parking. No space," the Post reported.
Another visitor, Richard Smekal, wrote, "The line was a continuous stream of people, barely moving — basically at a standstill," per the Post.
The staffing cuts have also led to overflowing trash cans, unkempt bathrooms, and messes in other park facilities.
The issue goes beyond inconvenience. When thousands of vehicles idle in traffic and visitors are funneled into packed areas, the result is more air pollution, more strain on fragile landscapes, and a less accessible experience for families, older adults, and anyone who can't spend hours waiting in line. In a place meant to reconnect people with nature, experiences like this can have the opposite effect.
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"I spent over an hour stuck in traffic leaving the park, and exiting felt more like leaving a major sporting event than it did visiting a national park," said Mark Rose, Sierra Nevada senior program manager for the National Parks Conservation Association, according to the Post.
If parks become synonymous with traffic jams, surrounding communities lose out too, as visitors leave frustrated instead of inspired.
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