Do you need reservations for Yosemite in September?
Top Things to Know. Plan ahead: reservations are not currently required to enter Yosemite, but we strongly recommend that you make reservations for lodging, camping, and backpacking. Pack your patience: millions of people visit Yosemite from April through October.
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The best times to visit Yosemite are May and September, when the park is accessible, but not too crowded. It's important to know that many roads and trails in Yosemite are closed for the majority of the year due to snow.
Yosemite National Park sees its absolute peak crowds during July and August. You will need to book lodging – including campgrounds – and any guides, activities or tours well in advance.
Some of the falls, such as Yosemite Falls, usually dry up altogether near late September. While other falls, such as Vernal and Nevada Falls, flow all year, they will be reduced to a trickle. The bugs will buzz about in September, obliging visitors to put on bug spray.
Yosemite is home to countless waterfalls. The best time to see waterfalls is during spring, when most of the snowmelt occurs. Peak runoff typically occurs in May or June, with some waterfalls (including Yosemite Falls) often only a trickle or completely dry by August.
Yosemite enthusiasts usually visit the Park during off season months. Fall which starts towards the end of September is one of the best months for hiking and a great time to visit when summer crowds decline dramatically after the Labor Day holiday when children start heading back to school.
Reservations are not required to visit Yosemite National Park. As always, we strongly recommend that you make a reservation if you plan to stay overnight in Yosemite.
Please note that to drive into Yosemite National Park between May 20 and September 30, 2022 during peak hours (6:00 am–4:00 pm) you must have a reservation, which costs $2. You do not need a reservation to enter before 6:00 am or after 4:00 pm. See the nps.gov page for the latest details.
Yosemite in autumn is most notable for the absence of two things: raging waterfalls and raging crowds. If you don't mind the former, you'll certainly appreciate the latter. Those famous Yosemite Valley crowds start thinning out after Labor Day and don't recover again until the following May.
You may store food inside your car or truck (out of sight, with windows completely closed) only during daylight hours. You may not leave food in a pickup truck bed or strapped to the outside of a vehicle at any time. Do not store food in your car or truck after dark: use a food locker.
Fall ColorDaytime temperatures are mild and perfect for hiking. Less visitors in the park compared to the summer months provide a feeling of solitude. Fall color typically starts late September into early October in Yosemite Valley.
Yosemite National Park is open 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. However, the Hetch Hetchy Entrance Station is open only during daylight hours (approximately) and some roads are closed due to snow from around November through May or June.
Besides the outdoor pools available to the public during summer at Curry Village and Yosemite Valley Lodge, swimming is generally permitted in all bodies of water in the park.
Within Yosemite National Park, you may not sleep in your car or RV except in a campsite that you're registered to stay in (except at Camp 4, where sleeping in cars is not allowed because it's a walk-in campground). Sleeping in your car along the side of the road is not allowed.