Yosemite National Park looking for new way to manage crowds

Yosemite National Park is turning to the public for help solving its issues with crowding.

The park announced on Twitter Thursday that it was evaluating different strategies to manage crowding and asked for public feedback on several issues.

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Visitors to the website can use a form on the National Park Service website from July 6 to September 6 to submit a comment.

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Yosemite introduced its system of requiring reservations to enter the park in 2020 as a response to the pandemic, but announced an end to that policy in November 2022.

Ahead of the Fourth of July holiday, crowding became a severe issue in the park with some people waiting for as long as five hours to enter the park.

The waterfalls are still roaring at Yosemite. It's a beautiful sight but Visitors say it's so crowded that sometimes it's taking up to 4 hours just to reach the entrance. Raj Mathai speaks with Yosemite park ranger Steve Lyon on the long lines.

Visitors to the online feedback form are also able to view other information about the project, including the plan process, meeting notices, and other assorted documents.