The five hour wait to get into Yosemite during peak summer months. And you thought the lines at Disneyland were bad? Photo by Dan Cunningham.
Nothing is more frustrating than sitting in your car for 20 minutes waiting for the guy in the rental RV 25 cars up to stop asking questions and be on his merry way. So you want to avoid this year on Labor Day weekend?
1) Come Early.
No kidding. I’ve been coming to the park for years in and out every entrance at all times of day and I can honestly say if you’re driving up to a gate after 9 a.m. have a book ready to read. So, come early, say around 5-7 a.m. Most of my great Yosemite photos are early in the morning anyway and fewer people are up and on the trails. Being in the park early is a definite plus.
2) Pick Your Route Carefully
By far the busiest entrance to Yosemite is the South Entrance (Highway 41) with over 256,595 vehicles entering the park so far this year. Arch Rock (Highway 140) has the second most entrants at over 220,189 and the Big Oak Flat (Highway 120) at a significantly lower but still high 197,018.
This means Highway 120 from Big Oak Flat is the road you should be on. Not only are there fewer people entering on Highway 120 but there are lots of great places to eat on the way that are often overlooked. My wife and I usually stop in Groveland to get a snack or coffee. It’s a great little town. So plan your vacation to take advantage of these numbers.
3) Be Considerate of Others – Ask Questions After Entering the Park
Be considerate of the people behind you. You don’t want to be the guy in the rental RV holding up the line. The pay station is no place to ask a question. Head to the nearest Information Office (one by every gate) or visit the visitors center in Yosemite Village to ask your questions. Ask any ranger. They live in the park and are all VERY familiar with it. They’re a great resource and they love to help.
Don’t forget there are also many, many great online resources like this one to make planning a trip a breeze. Just look at some of the pages of information we have in our sidebar. WOW!
Hope all this information helps make your next trip to Yosemite the best trip you’ve ever had. Good luck!
Comments
3 responses to “Avoid the Lines This Labor Day”
Last year I decided to hike Half Dome on Labor Day. We got there at 5, met fewer-than-normal people on the trail (both ways), and had little to no traffic on the way out. I wish I could say the same for yesterday, didn’t have the time to wait to get up the cables. Good luck to those planning on going Labor Day.
Great posting, I hope many find it and take note. A trip to Yosemite is very rewarding if one is aware of some of these details that can be frustrating if not planned for ahead of time. Keep up the great work!
Lynn
I want to put a plug in for the out-of-the-park information resources as well.
I’m one of many volunteers at the Yosemite-Sierra Visitors’ Bureau in Oakhurst. We’re open 7 days a week, we love Yosemite, and we LOVE to give visitors information about the park and surrounding areas. We can take lots more time to tell you what you need to know and then you’re not holding up the guy behind you at the entrance station.
As a frequent visitor to the park, I can attest to how irritating it is for me to have an entry pass–and have to wait for the guy ahead of me to get directions to all the sights along Glacier Point Road.