National Parks Are So Popular, You Now Have to make Reservations in Advance

By Alex Schnee

If you are sitting down and getting ready to plan your trip to America’s national parks, then

you might be surprised to find out that you will need to be a little more prepared than in previous years.

Due to the increased number of visitors to the parks–visitation was up 4% in 2023 with over 325 million people using national park sites–crowd management and conservation continue to be top priority for the NPS.

Not all reservation requirements are the same for each park. Many parks continue to operate as they always have, while others require advanced reservations for entry or certain hikes or activities. Keep in mind that these are different permits than what are required for backcountry trips.

Yosemite Did it in 2022

Several reservations have been altered from previous years, as well. Yosemite had an entry reservation in place in 2022, only to get rid of it in 2023. However, it’s back again this year–and it might be the most confusing it has ever been.

Mount Rainier has also joined the list of national parks that will require reservations for entry during the summer months. Over the past decade, Rainier’s visitation has increased to more than 40%, prompting a new system to manage how many people can enter certain areas at certain times.

In order to get the tickets you need, being familiar with Recreation.gov can be a game changer. Sign up for an account ahead of time before you need reservations so that you won’t need to enter your credit card information each time you plan on trying to get reservations.

Here is a list of the national parks that require some sort of ticketing for either activities or to enter.

Acadia National Park

Acadia’s famed Cadillac Summit Road in Maine has required tickets for the past few years. For 2024, you will need one to drive the road from May 22nd until October 27th. These cost $6 on the Recreation.gov website.

Tickets are released on a rolling basis, so knowing your dates beforehand will be essential. 30% of these are available 90 days before your planned visit. Missed the date? That’s okay–the other 70% are released at 10:00 am ET two days before you plan on taking on the drive.

Arches National Park

If you knew of Arches’ in Utah’s reservation system last year, then you will find that it is very similar in 2024. Tickets for entry to the park are timed, so you will have an assigned hour when you will be able to enter the park–however, you can stay as long as you would like.

The majority of the tickets are released three months before your dates. For example, if you would like to enter the park on July 1st, you will want to purchase your ticket on April 1st.

You will need these timed entry tickets from the dates of April 1st until October 31st. There are a limited number of tickets that are released the day before at 7:00 pm MT if you missed the window.

Glacier National Park

Glacier has changed their reservation system again this year, having three separate reservation systems for three different areas of the park in Montana. These include the main corridor of Going-to-the-Sun Road, the Many Glacier area, and the North Fork area.

You’ll need to get your reservations for the North Fork area and Going-to-the-Sun Road 120 days before you plan on visiting if you are planning on being there from May 24th until September 8th. You can enter the park without a reservation outside of the hours of 6:00 am MT and 3:00 pm MT.

For the Many Glacier area, you will need reservations starting July 1st and ending September 8th.

Previously, your ticket for Going-to-the-Sun Road would last for three days of entry. This year, it only counts for your day of entry. You can purchase these tickets on a rolling basis 120 days before you plan on visiting the park at 8:00 am MT on Recreation.gov.

If you can’t manage to get them in advance, a limited number are also released at 7:00 pm MT the day before you plan on entering.

Haleakala National Park

Over the past few years, Haleakala National Park in Hawaii has required tickets to view the sunrise from the hours of 3:00 am HT until 7:00 am HT. These are required all year, and you can purchase them up to 60 days in advance on Recreation.gov.

A limited number of tickets are available two days before your planned visit at 7:00 am HT.

Mount Rainier National Park

Mount Rainier in Washington state has developed a brand new pilot program for reservations for entry this year. These are required for the two busiest areas of the park: the Paradise Corridor and the Sunrise Corridor.

The dates you will need reservations for the Paradise Corridor from the south entrances are from May 24th until September 2nd. The dates are different for the Sunrise Corridor, which are July 3rd until September 2nd. Reservations for these will need to be booked three months in advance, and you are required to have them from the hours of 7:00 am PT until 3:00 pm PT.

If you miss the dates, you still have the option to get them the day before at 7:00 pm PT on Recreation.gov.

Rocky Mountain National Park

Similar to previous years, Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park has two reservation systems: one for the Bear Lake Road Corridor and the whole of the park, and one for the rest of the park minus the Bear Lake Road Corridor.

These reservations give you a two-hour window to enter from your assigned time. For the Bear Lake Road Corridor, you will need them from the dates of May 24th until October 20th for hours between 5:00 am MT to 6:00 pm MT. For the rest of the park without the Bear Lake Road Corridor, the dates where these are required are from May 24th until October 15th from hours 9:00 am MT to 2:00 pm MT.

In order to secure these reservations, you will need to purchase these one month before you visit on the first day of the month. This means that if you would like to visit July 5th, you need to purchase them June 1st.

You also have the possibility of purchasing tickets the evening before at 7:00 pm MT. You’ll want to be aware that these are limited, so it’s better to plan ahead if you can.

Shenandoah National Park

The Old Rag permit system has now become permanent in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. You will need it to drive or hike in the area. These can be purchased 30 days before you plan on visiting starting from February 17th at 10:00 am ET.

Yosemite National Park

Yosemite in California is back with a new reservation system this year–and it’s not the most straightforward. From dates April 13th until June 30th, tickets for entry are required from 5:00 am PT until 4:00 pm PT for Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays.

From the dates of July 1st until August 16th, you will need a reservation for every day. On August 17th, they go back to reservations being required on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays.

You also have two different options for tickets. One allows you access for the entire day in the park, and another gives you access only after 12:00 pm PT. These give you access for three days. However, if you are not able to get the right tickets for your dates, there are still a number available seven days before you plan on entering the park.

Zion National Park

Zion in Utah doesn’t require a reservation in order to enter, but it does for some of its most famous attractions. These include the Angels Landing hike and the Subway hike. These are a lottery-style system which only allows a certain number of people on the trails per day.

In order to hike Angels Landing, you will need to enter the lottery either two months in advance, or the day before you plan on taking it on. You will pay a fee of $6 per day you want to apply, and if you are lucky enough to get your permit, you will have an additional fee of $3.

The lottery for the Subway is very similar to the system for Angels Landing with an even more limited number of hikers allowed each day. Again, you can enter two months beforehand, and you also have the option to enter two days before you would like to hike.

Visiting a few of the national parks this year requires more preparation than previous years, but knowing what to expect before you get there can make the difference between enjoying your trip or missing out. Make sure you have your dates planned as soon as possible so you can plan ahead when to get your reservations as needed.

Alex Schnee is the founder of Alex on the Map, a site devoted to national park guides, hiking, climbing, and enjoying your outdoor adventures. After growing up near Glacier National Park in Montana, Alex now spends summers in the American West hitting up the trail with her husband and dog.

Her work has been featured in Fodor’s, the Huffington Post, Bustle, and many more. She has also been featured in publications such as The Washington Post, CNN, and USA Today.