Yosemite National Park is famous for it’s majestic waterfalls, it’s giant hanging valleys and amazing hikes. But you should be aware of the 16 different ways to pay the Yosemite National Park entrance fee so you can plan ahead and make the smartest choice.

If you’re still trying to decide whether or not to visit Yosemite National Park, this short video may help you to decide.

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16 Options for Paying The Yosemite Entrance Fee

Good news is that the Yosemite National Park entrance fee can be paid by the car load, currently $30 per carload.

  1. $30 per vehicle – Non commercial car, pickup, van, RV (7 day pass)
  2. $25 per vehicle – Motorcycle (7 day pass)
  3. $15 per vehicle – Foot, horse, non commercial bus/van greater than 15 seats (7 day pass)
  4. $25 per vehicle + $15 per person – Commercial car up to 6 seats
  5. $125 per vehicle – Commercial van 6 to 15 seats
  6. $200 per vehicle – Commercial minibus 16-25 seats
  7. $300 per vehicle – Commercial coach over 25 seats
  8. Free – US Military (annual pass) covering active US Military Personnel and their dependents
  9. Free – Disability pass (lifetime pass) for US citizens or permanent residents with permanent disability
  10. $60 per person – Yosemite Pass (annual pass)
  11. $80 per person – America The Beautiful (annual pass) covering all National Parks
  12. Free – 4th Grade Pass (annual pass) for 4th grade students and their families
  13. $80 – Senior US citizens or permanent residents 62 or older (lifetime pass)
  14. $20 – Senior US citizens or permanent residents 62 or older (annual pass)
  15. Free – Volunteer Pass for volunteers with 250 hours service in Interagency Pass Program
  16. Free  – Free Entrance Days, typically Martin Luther King Jr Day, First day of National Park Week, National Public Lands Day, Veterans Day.

Note: You should check current entrance fees on the National Parks Service Fees and Passes Page which may be subject to change.

Which Yosemite National Park Entrance Fee is the Best Value?

3 of these 16 options stand out to me as offering the most impressive value.

  1. 4th grade and their family: If your child is in 4th grade you need to cash in on this offer to get the whole family free entrance into National Parks for an entire year! Read all about it at the Every Kid in a Park website.
  2. America the Beautiful Annual Pass: This $80 pass will give you free access for 12 months to over 400 parks run by the National Park Service. Find out all about it at the National Parks Service website.
  3. Active Duty US Military Personnel and their dependents. One thing I do admire about USA is the honour and respect paid to Military Personnel, and this pass is a fine example. Equally admirable is that dependents are also covered. Read all about it here.
Yosemite National Park Entrance Fee payment
Paying at the park entrance

Tips on Avoiding the Crowds at Yosemite

So we’ve established that Yosemite can be rather expensive to visit, depending on which option you choose. Also if you add accommodation and gas to the entrance fees, and you may be in for a costly little holiday. With this in mind, you really should visit the park at a time when it’s not too crowded. For example, our visit to Yosemite National Park was on the Memorial Day long weekend, without even realising it was a long weekend! Consequently the park was near capacity.

To explain further, Joshua Cripps from Pro Photo Advice gives some outstanding advice in this link on how to avoid the crowds at Yosemite National Park. Hence this short video is well worth a look.

Price Hikes

There has been a lot of debate in the United States regarding entrance fee price hikes in the country’s National Parks.  With potential large price hikes I strongly suggest you check the latest Yosemite National Park entrance fee before your visit.

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Yosemite National Park Entrance station
Approaching the park entrance

And here are some great touring options to Yosemite National Park from our NUMBER 1 Tour Platform – GetYourGuide.com

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