Yosemite National Park is known for its giant rock walls like El Capitan, towering sequoia trees, and waterfalls. The California destination is extremely popular. So, how crowded is Yosemite? A recently shared viral video might make some visitors think twice about going.
The video clip was shared by Tourons of National Parks, a page that pokes fun at people misbehaving in the wild. This time, however, the focus is on the crowds.
Take a look:
In the video, originally posted by another account called Discover California, you see a huge mob of people. The crowd fills a wide path that runs next to a body of water. There are dozens of people in view, accompanied by a tongue-in-cheek caption: “I love the peace and serenity of Yosemite.”
Comments include: “Anyone who knows how to national park knows to get into the parks by 6/7 a.m.” Others offered the obvious advice of exploring less crowded areas of the park: “There are millions of acres that don’t have a single soul in Yosemite. People are lazy and stay in the valley.”
This isn’t exclusively a Yosemite problem. Long lines of traffic are common in the park, but other destinations face similar issues. Zion in Utah, for example, sees long lines and crowded parking lots for popular hikes like Angel’s Landing.
How Crowded Is Yosemite?
So, how crowded is Yosemite? According to the National Park Service (NPS), Yosemite is the sixth most popular national park in the country. The Great Smoky Mountains and the Grand Canyon consistently take first and second place.
On average, more than four million people visit Yosemite each year, making it a consistently crowded destination. But beating the crowds isn’t impossible. The NPS suggests arriving before 8 a.m., especially on weekends. They also recommend that if you find a parking spot, plan to leave your car there for the day. Chances are, you won’t find another one. You can either walk to other destinations or ride the public transit available within the park.