There have always been a lot of people visiting national parks. But after COVID, several of the most popular US national parks saw an even greater surge in visitors, which resulted in crowding and lengthy lines to enter the park, traffic on the hiking trails, and parking lots full of automobiles and RVs.
As a result, parks have begun implementing reservation systems to manage traffic and crowds in order to maintain control, and it appears that these systems are here to stay in 2024 with TEN of national parks and 1 national monument requiring reservations in addition to admission costs.
There are 3 types of reservations: time entry reservation (to visit the park during a designated time frame ), vehicle reservation (a reservation is required for a specific route, however the majority of the park is open for visitation) or hiking permit (while reservations are not needed in advance to visit the park, they are for a specific hiking track).
Following is the map, the list and details on the 11 parks requiring reservation. See how to make reservations at each of them by reading on.
1. ACADIA NATIONAL PARK
- RESERVATION TYPE: Vehicle Reservation for Cadillac Summit Road (Choose between Sunrise Reservation OR Daytime Reservation). You DO NOT need advance reservation for the rest of the Park.
- DATES REQUIRING RESERVATION IN 2024: May 24 through October 22, 2024
- COST: $6 on top of park entrance fee.
- PURCHASE YOUR TICKET HERE: recreation.gov
- TIP: 70% of the reservations are released at 10 a.m. EST two days in advance, while 30% are made 90 days in advance.
- MORE INFO: nps.gov
2. ARCHES NATIONAL PARK
- RESERVATION TYPE: Time Entry Reservation
- DATES REQUIRING RESERVATION IN 2024: April 1 through October 31, 2024 from 7 am to 4pm. You DO NOT need reservation if you enter the Park before 7am or after 4pm.
- COST: $2 on top of park entrance fee.
- PURCHASE YOUR TICKET HERE: recreation.gov
- TIP: Tickets for timed entrance are required from April 1 through October 31. Three months in advance, tickets go on sale (for instance, May tickets go on sale on February 2 at 8 a.m. MST).
- MORE INFO: nps.gov
3. CARLSBAD CAVERNS NATIONAL PARK
- RESERVATION TYPE: Time Entry Reservation
- DATES REQUIRING RESERVATION IN 2024: ALL YEAR except when the Park is closed.
- COST: $1 on top of park entrance fee.
- PURCHASE YOUR TICKET HERE: recreation.gov
- TIP: Reservations are 30 days in advance and are required year-round.
- MORE INFO: nps.gov
4. GLACIER NATIONAL PARK
- RESERVATION TYPE: Vehicle Reservation for Going-to-the-Sun Road (West Entrance), North Fork and Many Glacier.
- DATES REQUIRING RESERVATION IN 2024: Going-to-the-Sun Road- West Entrance (May 24 to September 8, 6am to 3pm); North Fork (May 24 to September 8, 6am to 3pm); Many Glaciers (July 1st to September 8, 6am to 3pm). NO RESERVATIONS required if you enter Going-to-the-Sun Road from the East Entrance or Two Medicine, and if you are staying in the park, which include camping or if you take a commercial tour.
- COST: $2 on top of park entrance fee.
- PURCHASE YOUR TICKET HERE: recreation.gov
- TIP: From May 24 to September 8, depending on which part of the park you want to visit, car reservations are required. Tickets go on sale 120 days in advance, with the first batch going on sale at 8 a.m. MST on January 25, 2024.
- MORE INFO: nps.gov
5. HALEAKALA NATIONAL PARK
- RESERVATION TYPE: Time Entry Reservation to watch sunrise (3am to 7am).
- DATES REQUIRING RESERVATION IN 2024: Everyday the Park is open. You can’t enter the park before 7 am without reservation. NO RESERVATIONS required if you take a commercial tour which include the sunrise or you go after 7am or if you go for sunset, which is still beautiful from what I read.
- COST: Free with $1 reservation fee.
- PURCHASE YOUR TICKET HERE: recreation.gov
- TIP: To drive to the peak before daybreak, you must make a reservation for a vehicle any time of the year. Online reservations may be made starting at 7 am HST 60 days in advance. A second batch of reservations is issued 48 hours beforehand.
- MORE INFO: nps.gov
6. MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK
- RESERVATION TYPE: Time Entry Reservation for Paradise Coridor and Sunrise Coridor.
- DATES REQUIRING RESERVATION IN 2024: Paradise Coridor (May 24 to September 2; 7am-3pm ) and Sunrise Coridor (July 3-September 2; 7am-3pm) NO RESERVATIONS needed if you enter either coridor before 7am or after 3pm. Reservation is also not required for the part of the park you are staying in for lodging; if you stay in Paradise Coridor part of the park, then you do not need a reservation for Paradise Coridor, but you will need reservation for Sunrise Coridor.
- COST: $2 on top of entrance fee.
- PURCHASE YOUR TICKET HERE: recreation.gov
- TIP: Tickets for timed entrance are required from May 24 to September 2. Approximately ninety days in advance, permits are issued; the first batch become available on February 21.
- MORE INFO: nps.gov
7. ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK
- RESERVATION TYPE: Time Entry Reservation; Park Access + (Access to everything in the Park from 5 am to 6pm) OR Park Access (Access to everything in the Park except for Bear Lake Road from 9am to 2pm)
- DATES REQUIRING RESERVATION IN 2024: May 24 to October 20.
- COST: $2 on top of entrance fee.
- PURCHASE YOUR TICKET HERE: recreation.gov
TIP: Tickets for timed entrance are required from May 24 to October 20. With the first release on May 1, these tickets go on sale around a month in advance.
- MORE INFO: nps.gov
8. SHENANDOAH NATIONAL PARK
- RESERVATION TYPE: Hiking Permit: Old Rag Day-Use Ticket. NO RESERVATION required for the rest of the park.
- DATES REQUIRING RESERVATION IN 2024: March 1 to November 30
- COST: $1 on top of entrance fee.
- PURCHASE YOUR TICKET HERE: recreation.gov
- TIP: From March 1 through November 30, a day-use permit is required to hike Old Rag. Thirty days prior to the reservation date, these become available.
- MORE INFO: nps.gov
9. YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK
- RESERVATION TYPE: Time Entry Reservation and Hiking Permit Half Dome (Lottery system)
- DATES REQUIRING RESERVATION IN 2024: February (10th, 11th, 17th, 18th, 24th and 25th); April 13 to June 30 (Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays (May 27 and June 19) between 5 am and 4 pm; July 1-August 16 (everyday between 5am-4pm); August 17-October 27 (Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays (September 2 and October 14) between 5 am and 4 pm. You do not need a reservation to access the park if you are a guest of a Wawona, Yosemite West, or Foresta vacation home, or if you have a wilderness or Half Dome permit or if you enter the park before 5 a.m. and after 4 p.m.
- COST: $2 on top of entrance fee.
- PURCHASE YOUR TICKET HERE: recreation.gov
- TIP: Reservations for Yosemite in February, when Horsetail Fall becomes the park’s main draw, open on December 1 at 8 a.m. Pacific time, with the remaining spaces becoming available two days prior to the reserve deadline. Reservations for the peak season, which runs from mid-April through October, open on January 5 at 8 a.m. Pacific time. Additional reservations open seven days prior to the arrival date. For Half Dome, enter the lottery from March 1, 2024, to March 31, 2024. By mid-April, the fortunate lottery winners are notified.
- MORE INFO: nps.gov
10. ZION NATIONAL PARK
- RESERVATION TYPE: Hiking or Wilderness Permits for Angels Landing, Subway & hiking the Narrows (top-down). NO RESERVATION required to visit the rest of the park or to take the park shuttle.
- DATES REQUIRING RESERVATION IN 2024: All the time when the park is open.
- COST: $6 for application and $3 if you win, on top of entrance fee.
- PURCHASE YOUR TICKET/APPLY HERE: Angels Landing: nps.gov; Subway & Narrows (top-down): nps.org
11. MUIR WOODS NATIONAL MONUMENT
- RESERVATION TYPE: Parking Reservation
- DATES REQUIRING RESERVATION IN 2024: All year when the park is open.
- COST: Standard car at $9.50
- PURCHASE YOUR TICKET HERE: muirwood
- TIP: You can make reservations up to three months in advance.
