Yosemite National Park costs $35 per private vehicle, $30 per motorcycle, or $20 per person on foot or bike.
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The honest answer to how much to enter Yosemite National Park depends on how you arrive. A standard private-vehicle pass costs $35 and covers everyone inside the car for seven consecutive days, while motorcycles cost $30 and walk-in or bike-in visitors age 16 and older pay $20 each.
Yosemite is cashless at entrance stations, so bring a credit card, debit card, or mobile payment method. Non-US residents age 16 and older face a separate $100 per-person fee unless they enter with a qualifying annual pass, which can change the math fast for international groups.
The National Park Service gate fee is still the number to use for your base budget. If you also want reserved tours, guided activities, or ticketed Yosemite experiences, compare those separately after you know the park entry cost:
Yosemite Entry Cost By Vehicle And Pass Type
Yosemite entrance prices are based on the entry method, pass type, and residency status of the visitor. The standard pass is valid for seven consecutive days, so one fee can cover a weekend trip or a full week inside the park.
Use the table as the clean budget check before you pick a gate, hotel, or tour time.
| Entry Or Pass Type | What It Includes | Current Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Private Vehicle | One non-commercial car, pickup, RV, or van with 15 or fewer seats, including passengers | $35 for 7 days |
| Motorcycle | Up to 2 private, non-commercial motorcycles with up to 4 total passengers | $30 for 7 days |
| Walk-In, Bike-In, Horseback, Or Transit Visitor | One person age 16 or older entering without a private vehicle | $20 for 7 days |
| Children 15 And Younger | Entrance when arriving with a paying adult or covered vehicle | Free |
| Yosemite Annual Pass | Free entrance to Yosemite for 12 months for US citizens and residents | $70 |
| America The Beautiful Resident Annual Pass | Entrance to national parks and many federal recreation sites for US citizens and residents | $80 |
| America The Beautiful Non-Resident Annual Pass | Annual federal lands pass for non-US residents | $250 |
| Non-US Resident Fee | Extra charge for each non-US resident age 16 or older unless admitted with a qualifying annual pass | $100 per person |
What The Standard Yosemite Fee Covers
The standard Yosemite entrance fee covers park entry for seven consecutive days, not one calendar day. A traveler who enters on Monday can leave and re-enter during the same seven-day window without paying the standard entrance fee again.
A private-vehicle pass is usually the best deal for families and small groups because the $35 fee covers the vehicle and everyone riding inside. The $20 per-person fee only applies when a visitor enters on foot, bicycle, horseback, or in a non-commercial bus or van.
Yosemite entrance passes do not include lodging, camping, wilderness permits, Half Dome permits, food, shuttle tours, or gear rentals. The entrance fee is simply the cost to access the park roads, viewpoints, trailheads, and visitor areas that are open for the season.
Do You Need A Reservation To Enter Yosemite?
Yosemite National Park does not plan to use a timed-entry reservation system in 2026, so most day visitors only need the applicable entrance fee or pass. Lodging, campground, wilderness, and Half Dome access can still require separate reservations or permits.
The reservation rule matters because a paid entrance pass is not always the same thing as permission to use every limited-access activity. A traveler with a $35 vehicle pass can drive into Yosemite, but that same pass does not reserve a campsite, a room, or a Half Dome hiking permit.
Seasonal roads can also change the real cost of a trip. Tioga Road and Glacier Point Road may close in winter or during storms, which can add driving time, extra fuel, or another hotel night if your route depends on those roads.
When A Yosemite Pass Saves Money
A Yosemite annual pass starts to make sense when you will visit the park more than once in a year. A single $70 Yosemite Annual Pass costs the same as two standard private-vehicle visits.
The wider America the Beautiful pass is better for US residents who will visit Yosemite plus at least one other paid federal recreation site in the next 12 months. The official Yosemite fees page lists the current standard entrance fees, annual pass prices, cashless payment rule, and nonresident fee.
For non-US residents, the added $100 per-person charge can make the $250 non-resident America the Beautiful pass worth comparing before arrival. A couple of non-US residents entering Yosemite once in a private vehicle could owe the $35 vehicle fee plus $200 in nonresident fees unless a qualifying annual pass covers them.
Free Entrance Days And Extra Fees
Yosemite has several 2026 entrance fee-free days for US citizens and residents, but free admission days do not remove every possible cost. Camping, lodging, permits, and any nonresident charges or reservation fees that apply under current rules may still be separate.
The 2026 National Park Service free entrance dates listed for Yosemite include February 16, May 25, June 14, July 3–5, August 25, September 17, October 27, and November 11. Those dates can be crowded, so the savings may come with longer entrance lines and tighter parking in Yosemite Valley.
Budget check: a free entrance day is useful if you live nearby or already planned those dates. For a once-in-a-year trip, saving $35 is rarely worth building the whole itinerary around the busiest possible arrival window.
Where To Stay Near The Yosemite Entrances
Yosemite lodging choice affects the real cost of entry because long drives can turn one park day into two paid nights nearby. Yosemite Valley is closest to the core sights, El Portal works well for the Arch Rock Entrance, Mariposa gives more town services, and Oakhurst or Fish Camp fit the South Entrance.
Travelers entering from the east should check Tioga Road status before booking near Lee Vining, because that approach depends on the seasonal high-country road. Travelers flying into Fresno or San Francisco usually save time by sleeping near the entrance they plan to use the next morning.
For hotels, cabins, and lodges near the park gates, compare locations on a map before choosing the cheapest room:
Should You Add A Yosemite Tour?
A Yosemite tour is worth paying for when parking, winter driving, or one-day timing would make a self-drive visit stressful. A self-drive trip is cheaper if you already have a car, arrive early, and only need the standard entrance fee.
Guided Yosemite options can make sense for travelers coming from San Francisco, visitors who do not want mountain driving, or first-time park visitors who want a structured day in Yosemite Valley. The trade is simple: a tour costs more than the gate fee, but it can reduce the risk of losing hours to parking and route planning.
Compare guided Yosemite activities only after you separate the official entrance fee from the extra cost of a tour:
The Right Yosemite Pass For Each Trip
The right Yosemite ticket choice depends on your arrival method, how many adults are in the group, and whether you will visit more federal recreation sites within 12 months. Most US travelers driving in once should use the $35 private-vehicle pass and stop there.
- Driving one car into Yosemite once: pay $35 for the private-vehicle pass.
- Riding a motorcycle: pay $30 for the motorcycle pass.
- Entering by foot, bike, horse, or transit: pay $20 per person age 16 or older.
- Visiting Yosemite twice in one year: compare the $70 Yosemite Annual Pass against two $35 vehicle entries.
- Visiting Yosemite and another national park: US residents should compare the $80 America the Beautiful annual pass.
- Traveling as a non-US resident: add the $100 per-person fee for each visitor age 16 or older unless a qualifying annual pass applies.
- Visiting on a free entrance day: arrive early and expect more demand at gates, parking lots, and valley shuttle stops.
The clean budget number for most visitors is still $35 per car for seven days. The trip gets more expensive when your group includes non-US residents, paid tours, overnight stays, or permits for restricted hikes.
References & Sources
- National Park Service.“Fees & Passes — Yosemite National Park.”Supports Yosemite’s current entrance fees, annual pass prices, nonresident fee, cashless payment rule, and 2026 free entrance days.