If youre trying to make camping plans for this summer — you might want to avoid Yosemite National Park.

　　Just a few months ago, Yosemite officials said the parks timed-entry reservation system would become permanent in 2025. After years of complaints about traffic and overcrowding, visitors mostly supported a reservation system that alleviated some of those problems, according to officials.

　　But its now unclear if the system will return. Park officials have stayed mostly silent about whats going on, but the L.A. Times reported that Yosemites managers wanted to receive the blessing of the new administration.

　　You still need a reservation to enter the park until Feb. 23, according to the park website. But after Feb. 26, its unclear what will happen, officials wrote on the parks reservations page.

　　Yosemite National Park anticipates sharing details about this years reservation system early in 2025, they said. We recognize the importance of providing clarity on that system as soon as possible to accommodate peak summer season travel planning. We are grateful for the robust public engagement in this process to shape an improved and sustainable visitor experience.

　　There are plenty of alternatives for those making summer plans. Sequoia National Park is only 2.5 hours from Yosemite and doesnt require reservations. But visiting any national park this year could be more complicated without sufficient workers to operate them.

　　Traffic at a Yosemite entrance in 2019; (photo/Sundry Photography) Senators Demand Trump Exempt Parks On his first day in office, President Donald Trump instituted a hiring freeze for the entire federal government. That caused consternation throughout the country, but especially for the National Park Service (NPS). The agency hires about 6,000 seasonal workers every year to handle the increased visitation during summer months.

　　Within a week of Trumps executive order on Jan. 20, many workers already hired for the summer suddenly received notice that the job was no longer available.

　　“Your job offer has been rescinded at management request,” said emails from the NPS, which were widely shared online, from Reddit to Yahoo. “Should the bureau be able to fill the position again, another announcement will be posted in due course.”

　　But with national parks continuing to see record numbers of visitors every year, its dangerous to open them to the public without sufficient staff, according to the National Park Conservation Foundation. The issue has become so salient that a group of U.S. senators demanded that the Trump administration exempt NPSs seasonal workers from the hiring freeze.

　　View this post on Instagram A post shared by Yosemite National Park (@yosemitenps)

　　“Without seasonal staff during this peak season, visitor centers may close, bathrooms will be filthy, campgrounds may close, guided tours will be cut back or altogether cancelled, emergency response times will drop, and visitor services like safety advice, trail recommendations, and interpretation will be unavailable,” wrote senators Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Angus King (I-Maine), and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.).

　　Its possible that the Trump administration, including Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, may have already approved exceptions for certain NPS workers. On Tuesday afternoon, The Washington Post reported that some law enforcement and public safety positions might be allowed to move forward.

　　But given the Trump administrations frequent changes of direction —from tariffs to funding freezes —its unclear what NPS staffing will look like this year. To avoid overwhelming national parks that were already underfunded, it might be better to simply avoid them. After all, the U.S. has plenty of national forests where you can enjoy nature —without the crowds.

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