Yosemite gets boost in tourism this Labor Day weekend

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (KFSN) -- Tourists enjoyed the beautiful sights and weather in Yosemite during this Labor Day weekend. It was a nice way to start wrapping up the busy season here after wildfires caused some issues for the park earlier this summer.

Cars and tour buses packed the tunnel view parking lot, bringing visitors from around the world together in this small, yet spectacular spot.

Alisa Alvarez of Fresno came with her friends from Canada.

"It's beautiful up here, even if there's no raging falls it's still...this is where we can go," she said. "I thought oh we can go down south, no Yosemite! Yosemite is where we're going to take you."

For many families, it was a final chance to get away before the end of summer.

"We wanted to sneak in one last trip before school starts. Our school starts on Thursday, and we wanted to spend a few days here before it gets here," said Dan Harps of Orange County.

The carefree atmosphere was a welcome change from last Labor Day. The park was still dealing with the massive Rim Fire which closed some roads and campgrounds. Then one month later came the government shutdown. As a result, the number of visitors in 2013 dropped by more than 160,000 from the year before.

And this summer brought more challenges when the El Portal and Junction fires temporarily closed highways leading into the park.

"I am glad it's over," said Harper. "We've been here in years where there was smoke in the Valley. It gives you good sunsets, but not as good of views."

Visitation this July was higher than last July, but it's still down nearly 37,000 for the year. That's why some say it's even more important now to support this national treasure.

"It's so beautiful. How can we let this go to waste?" said Bia Ney of Fresno.

The busiest months may be over, but on the bright side, that means you can enjoy these views with less traffic and smaller crowds in the months ahead.