Yosemite National Park won't be opening its coveted High Sierra Camps this year. Here's why
'This decision was made in collaboration with the National Park Service (NPS), which manages the utilities necessary to run the camps,' according to the park's website. 'Impacted guests have been contacted and can book alternate accommodations within the park and will be offered priority booking for next year's lottery.'
Every year, more than 13,000 people stay at the Yosemite camps — five separate locations that offer various glamping amenities such as high-end meals and access to running water. Waste is recycled and composted and guests have access to either flush or solar-powered composting toilets, according to the park. Showers are available at May Lake and Sunrise Camps, depending on water availability.
The cabins fully reopened for the last time in 2018 and opened on a limited basis during the summer of 2024. Only three of the camps welcomed guests and the camp's 56 tent cabins have mostly stayed closed because of COVID-19 restrictions and extreme weather.
The Yosemite camps are spaced 6 to 10 miles apart along a loop trail and are open seasonally from June to September. Dates are heavily dependent on weather. Park visitors can book guided and unguided trips between the cabins. Guided trips are either five or seven days and include a guide and all three meals at each camp. Unguided trips are self-guided and include two meals, with sack lunches available for an additional fee.
Visitors can enter a lottery for the 2026 season, which will open Nov. 1 and close Nov. 30 at the end of the day. Winners are notified by email.
___
© 2025 Los Angeles Times.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
38 minutes ago
- New York Post
State Department mulls bond program to take up to $15K from foreigners who overstay visas
Foreigners who overstay certain visas in the US could soon face penalties of up to $15,000. The State Department is preparing to launch a yearlong visa pilot program for tourism and business-related entry into the US on Aug. 20, featuring bonds that foreigners from select countries must pay to enter the US. Those bonds could be $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000, according to a Federal Register notice first reported by Reuters. If individuals overstay their visas, they could lose that money. Advertisement Foreigners who comply with their visa requirements at the end of their stay will receive their funds back. The visa bond pilot program is specific to applicants for B-1/B-2 visas — which are used for business and tourism — who hail from countries known for having high overstay rates or where vetting is believed to be subpar. 3 Secretary of State Marco Rubio has helped oversee the department's crackdown on immigration. AFP via Getty Images Advertisement 3 President Trump has bragged that net migration into the US could turn negative for the first time in 50 years. AP State Department officials will determine which countries the pilot program will target and announce them within days. Countries that have faced scrutiny from the Trump administration over visas include: Eritrea, Chad, Haiti, Yemen and Myanmar. Other countries such as Burundi, Djibouti and Togo are known for having elevated visa overstay rates. The move comes against the backdrop of a broader crackdown on illegal immigration into the US. Advertisement Some studies have suggested that more illegal immigration into the US comes from individuals overstaying their visas than crossing the US-Mexico border. This includes one study that pegged visa overstays as 40% of the illegal immigrant population. The US dealt with an overstay rate of about 1.45% in 2023, according to a report from the Department of Homeland Security. President Trump has made security at the US-Mexico border and cracking down on illegal immigration a top agenda item during his second term in office. 3 The State Department explored a similar program during the first Trump administration. Xinhua News Agency via Getty Images Advertisement During the final months of Trump's first term, the State Department began exploring a similar visa pilot program. 'However, in light of the worldwide reduction in global travel as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department did not implement the pilot and consequently it did not provide any data on the feasibility for full implementation,' the Federal Registar notice explained. The visa bond pilot program is a direct response to an executive order Trump signed on his first day back in office to combat illegal immigration. The Post reached out to the State Department for comment. Trump has crowed about projections that the US could have negative net migration for the first time in 50 years.
Newsweek
4 hours ago
- Newsweek
New Destinations: Global Travel and Tourism Leaders 2025
Travel is changing, and the industry is adapting to satisfy a generation seeking authenticity and quality experiences in new destinations. Globally, tourism is back above pre-pandemic levels. COVID-19 wiped out 1.1 billion trips in 2020, so the turnaround is remarkable. Europe has bounced back, with Southeast Asia and Africa a little slower to recover. In the USA, President Donald Trump's January return has cooled demand. The World Travel & Tourism Council expects foreign visitor spending to fall 7 percent this year; visits from Canada are projected to plummet by about 20 percent. If the pandemic was an earthquake in travel, the industry is praying this will prove to be only a minor tremor. To take the temperature in travel and gauge where the momentum is headed, we interviewed 71 top executives from around the world. Their verdict is clear: travel is booming once again, but the landscape has changed forever. We examine the rise of low-cost flights, online travel agents and the return of business travel. As we share these leaders' insights within this special report, buckle up and enjoy the ride! This report has been paid for by a third party. The views and opinions expressed are not those of Newsweek and are not an endorsement of the products, services or persons mentioned. Click here to download the full report
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Yellowstone Visitors Horrified After Tourist Walked Across Forbidden Off-Limits Zone in Flip-Flops
Photos of the incident show the man casually walking across the park's delicate protected bacterial mats to collect fallen hatsNEED TO KNOW A man in flip-flops recently walked across a protected off-limits zone in Yellowstone National Park, per a July 30 post in a public Facebook group Photos of the incident show the man collecting hats that had blown onto the ground The man was trespassing on delicate bacterial mats near the park's Grand Prismatic Spring, an offense that is punishable by lawYellowstone visitors were shocked and horrified when an anonymous tourist walked across a protected off-limits zone in flip-flops. The incident occurred on July 28, according to a July 30 post in the public Facebook group 'Yellowstone: Invasion of the Idiots,' where park lovers can share incidents of visitors defying park rules and common-sense safety protocols. Photos of the incident included within the post show the unknown man stepping out onto a bacterial mat near the park's Grand Prismatic Spring. These mats are comprised of delicate living organisms and give the landscape its signature colorful appearance, per the National Park Service. The organisms — called thermophiles — grow and thrive in the intense heat of the park's thermal basin, and are incredibly sensitive to outside disturbances. The man, who appeared to be picking up hats that had blown onto the mats, was seen walking on the nearby boardwalk with a woman when he exited the boardwalk and 'illegally and repeatedly' walked 'all over the bacterial mats,' per the post. PEOPLE reached out to Yellowstone National Park for comment on Saturday, Aug. 2, but did not receive an immediate response. Walking on the mats is considered 'thermal trespassing,' and is punishable by fines, park bans and even jail time. In 2024, a 21-year-old tourist was sentenced to seven days in jail and was banned from the park for two years after he walked off a designated visitor area to get closer to Steamboat Geyser, the world's tallest active geyser, according to The New York Times. The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now! In 2020, two men were each sentenced to 10 days in jail, a fine of $540, five years of unsupervised probation and a five-year ban from the park for trespassing on the cone of Old Faithful Geyser, per a press release from the National Park Service. 'Visitors must realize that walking on thermal features is dangerous, damages the resource [is] and illegal,' Chief Ranger Sarah Davis said in a statement at the time, per the release. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 'Law enforcement officers take this violation seriously. Yellowstone National Park also appreciates the court for recognizing the impact thermal trespass can have on these amazing features,' Davis added. Read the original article on People Solve the daily Crossword
