All parks › Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park: fees, hours, camping and when to visit
- Private vehicle, 7 days
- $35[1]
- Busiest month (2025)
- July[2]
- Recreation visits, 2025
- 4,278,413[3]
- Campgrounds
- 16[4]
Yosemite National Park is a national park in California run by the National Park Service[5]. NPS lists an entrance fee of $35 for a private vehicle, good for seven days[1], and the park is open 24 hours a day all year[6].
Entrance fees and passes
Fees as listed by the National Park Service. Fees change, so confirm on the park's official fees page before you go.
| Fee or pass | Price |
|---|---|
| Private Vehicle[1] | $35 |
| Motorcycle[7] | $30 |
| Per Person[8] | $20 |
| Non-commercial Groups[9] | $300 |
| Nonresident[10] | $100 |
| Annual Entrance - Park[11] | $70 |
The America the Beautiful pass is accepted here[12].
Entrance fee payment is cashless (card or mobile payment)[13].
America the Beautiful passes cover entrance fees at national parks and other federal recreation sites.
| Pass | Who can get it | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Resident Annual Pass[14] | US citizens and residents | $80 |
| Non-Resident Annual Pass[14] | Non-US residents | $250 |
| Senior Annual Pass[14] | US citizens and residents 62+ years old | $20 |
| Senior Lifetime Pass[14] | US citizens and residents 62+ years old | $80 |
| Military Annual Pass[14] | Current US military and dependents | Free |
| Military Lifetime Pass[14] | Gold Star Family members and veterans | Free |
| Access Pass[14] | US citizens and residents with permanent disability | Free |
| 4th Grade Pass[14] | US 4th graders | Free |
| Volunteer Pass[14] | Federal recreation site volunteers with 250 service hours | Free |
When to visit and hours
NPS says the park stays open around the clock, 365 days a year[6]. The Hetch Hetchy area is the exception: day visitors must leave by sunset, and its road is closed to vehicles overnight[15]. In 2025 the busiest month was July with 616,551 recreation visits, and the quietest was February with 120,601[2]. Snow covers much of the park from about November through May[16], so winter trips call for cold weather plans. Recreation visits reached 4,278,413 in 2025[3].
Show visits by month
| Month, 2025 | Recreation visits |
|---|---|
| January | 135,684 |
| February | 120,601 |
| March | 155,758 |
| April | 297,621 |
| May | 454,491 |
| June | 584,333 |
| July | 616,551 |
| August | 594,060 |
| September | 487,733 |
| October | 445,779 |
| November | 234,709 |
| December | 151,093 |
Camping
NPS and Recreation.gov list 16 campgrounds in Yosemite[4]. The largest is Tuolumne Meadows Campground with 309 sites, followed by Upper Pines Campground with 240 sites[4]. Nightly fees for an individual site range from $10 to $60 in the NPS listings[4].
- Tuolumne Meadows Campground, 309 sites[4]
- Upper Pines Campground, 240 sites
- Crane Flat Campground, 151 sites
- Hodgdon Meadow Campground, 108 sites
- Bridalveil Creek Campground, 107 sites
- Wawona Campground, 99 sites
- North Pines Campground, 99 sites
- Yosemite Creek Campground, 76 sites
- Lower Pines Campground, 75 sites
- White Wolf Campground, 74 sites
- Camp 4, 68 sites
- Porcupine Flat Campground, 56 sites
- Tamarack Flat Campground, 54 sites
- Tuolumne Horse Campsites, 4 sites
- Bridalveil Creek Horse Campsites, 3 sites
- Wawona Horse Campsites, 2 sites
Pets and dogs
Under the national rule, pets must be on a leash of six feet or less, or crated or caged, wherever they are allowed[17]. They cannot go into public buildings, onto public transportation or onto designated swimming beaches, though service animals are excepted[17]. Of the things to do NPS lists here, pets are allowed on scenic driving[18].
Before you go
- Bring a card or phone payment, since NPS lists entrance fees here as cashless[13].
- Non-US residents aged 16 and older pay an extra $100 unless they hold an annual or America the Beautiful pass[10].
- The park accepts the America the Beautiful pass[12], and a Yosemite annual pass costs $70[11].
- Visitors 15 and younger enter free when paying per person[8].
- Fees and hours change, so check the official NPS page before you go.
Questions people ask
- How much is the Yosemite entrance fee?
- NPS lists $35 for a private vehicle, covering everyone inside for seven days[1]. A motorcycle pays $30[7], and people on foot or bike pay $20 each[8].
- Is there an extra fee for international visitors to Yosemite?
- Yes. NPS lists a $100 fee for each non-US resident aged 16 or older, on top of the standard entrance fee, unless they show a valid annual pass or an America the Beautiful pass[10].
- When is Yosemite busiest?
- In 2025 the busiest month was July with 616,551 recreation visits[2]. February was the quietest with 120,601[2].
- Are dogs allowed in Yosemite?
- Where pets are allowed, the national rule requires a leash no longer than six feet or a crate[17]. NPS lists scenic driving as a pet friendly activity here[18].
- Can I pay the Yosemite entrance fee with cash?
- No. NPS lists Yosemite entrance fees as cashless, so use a card or mobile payment[13].
Facts and sources
- Entrance fee, Private Vehicle: $35. National Park Service
- NPS recreation visits by month, 2025 (chart on this page). NPS Visitor Use Statistics
- NPS recreation visits per year: 2021: 3,287,595, 2022: 3,667,550, 2023: 3,897,070, 2024: 4,121,807, 2025: 4,278,413. NPS Visitor Use Statistics
- Campgrounds in Yosemite National Park (list on this page). National Park Service
- Yosemite National Park is a unit of the U.S. National Park System (designation: National Park) in California. National Park Service
- Operating hours, Yosemite National Park: Yosemite National Park is open 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. National Park Service
- Entrance fee, Motorcycle: $30. National Park Service
- Entrance fee, Per Person: $20. National Park Service
- Entrance fee, Non-commercial Groups: $300. National Park Service
- Entrance fee, Nonresident: $100. National Park Service
- Annual Entrance - Park: $70. National Park Service
- Yosemite National Park accepts the America the Beautiful (interagency) pass for entrance. National Park Service
- Entrance fees at Yosemite National Park are cashless (cards or mobile payment, no cash) according to NPS. National Park Service
- America the Beautiful pass prices (table on this page). NPS Passes
- Operating hours, Hetch Hetchy: Hetch Hetchy area is only open from sunrise to sunset (except for permitted backpackers). All day visitors must exit Hetch Hetchy by sunset. The road is also closed to all vehicles (including backpackers) from sunset to sunrise. National Park Service
- NPS weather and seasons overview for Yosemite National Park. National Park Service
- National Park Service rule 36 CFR 2.15: where pets are allowed they must be crated, caged or on a leash no longer than six feet at all times, and pets are not allowed in public buildings, on public transportation or on designated swimming beaches (service... eCFR, 36 CFR 2.15
- NPS lists 13 things to do at Yosemite National Park: Visit the Yosemite Exploration Center, Watch the "Spirit of Yosemite" Film, Become a Yosemite Junior Ranger, Rock Climbing in Yosemite, Scenic Driving in Yosemite, Wildlife Safety in Yosemite, Ride a... National Park Service