Padilla Introduces Bill to Strengthen Reservation Systems for Public Lands as Trump Administration Announces Scaled-Back Yosemite Summer Reservation System
After push from Padilla, Yosemite will implement a 2025 seasonal reservation system to improve visitor access and experience; however, the system is significantly pared down from the plan Yosemite proposed
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) introduced legislation to expand access to public lands, improve the visitor reservation process, and enhance transparency in how fees are collected for federal lands and national parks. The Review and Evaluation of Strategies for Equal Reservations for Visitor Experiences (RESERVE) Federal Land Act would direct the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) to study and recommend improvements to reservation systems across federal lands to ensure they are fair, user-friendly, and accessible to all Americans.
The legislation comes after the Trump Administration, following significant delays, announced that Yosemite National Park will implement a 2025 seasonal reservation system. However, this year’s system is significantly scaled back from the plan Yosemite successfully piloted previously, which was carefully crafted based off public input and data. This year’s system requires reservations for fewer days and hours than what Yosemite proposed. Earlier this year, Padilla pushed Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum to allow Yosemite to implement its preferred reservation system, emphasizing its importance in managing park visitation while preserving Yosemite for future generations.
“For months, I’ve joined with park officials in calling on the Trump Administration to extend the use of Yosemite’s successful reservation system. While the decision to open reservations at Yosemite National Park for the summer is a win for outdoor lovers, the environment, and local businesses that rely on park visitors, it shouldn’t have taken this long,” said Senator Padilla. “The needless delays by the Trump Administration in approving a reservation system, and the Administration’s scaling back of Yosemite’s carefully crafted plan, will undermine the visitor experience for the millions who come to California to view this natural wonder. Congress must continue to invest in the staffing and resources needed to protect our national parks. We can start by passing my RESERVE Act, which will launch a national study on how to improve Recreation.gov and other public land reservation systems so they are accessible, transparent, and supportive of local communities’ needs.”
Yosemite is California’s most visited National Park, with an average of 3.3 million visitors annually. Last year, that number surged to 4.2 million visitors as Yosemite again piloted reservations during peak summer months. For decades, overcrowding, vehicle congestion, limited parking, and long lines have diminished what should ordinarily be a world-class experience, particularly for first-time visitors. Thanks to the reservation system, however, Yosemite was able to accommodate pre-pandemic visitor levels but without the excessive congestion. The reservation system helped distribute visitors more evenly throughout the day, week, and peak summer season.
Federal land management agencies have experimented with new visitor management methods such as online reservation systems for other public lands as well; however, there has been little national research on how these systems can be improved.
The RESERVE Act would direct NAS to study reservation systems across federal lands, including campsites, hiking permits, climbing passes, and other outdoor recreation activities. The report would be due in 18 months and would cover reservation system design, system user demographics, and data availability and accessibility. The study would also investigate the fee structure and transparency of Recreation.gov, the government’s centralized travel planning platform and reservation system for 14 federal agencies.
Senator Padilla is a strong advocate for ensuring equitable access to outdoor spaces. Last year, President Biden signed Padilla’s bipartisan, bicameral Outdoors for All Act into law as part of the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences (EXPLORE) Act. The Outdoors for All Act expands outdoor recreational opportunities in urban and low-income communities across the nation.
Full text of the bill is available here.
###