National Parks: No Reservation, No Entry
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Dreaming of an escape to one of our stunning national parks? Hold onto your hiking boots—there are a few things you need to know first. Many national parks now require reservations to help manage the number of visitors and preserve the natural beauty we all cherish. Arriving without a reservation at these popular destinations may may cause you to be turned away at the gate.
Understanding Park Reservation Rules
Each national park has its own set of reservation rules, so it's essential to be prepared. To eliminate any confusion, we've broken down the key details below and provided direct links to make your reservations.
All national parks reservations can be made at recreation.gov. These reservations are commonly referred to as day passes.
How to Make Your Reservation
Visit recreation.gov - This is the official site for all national park reservations.
Search for Your Park - Enter the name of the national park you plan to visit.
Choose Your Dates - Select your desired visit dates. Be sure to check availability well in advance, especially during peak seasons.
Complete Your Reservation - Follow the prompts to secure your day pass. You’ll receive a confirmation email with all the details.
Helpful Tips
Plan Ahead - Popular parks can book up months in advance, so make your reservations as early as possible.
Check Specific Rules - Each park has different regulations and capacities, so read the reservation details carefully.
Print Your Pass - Even if you have a digital copy, having a printed pass can be a lifesaver in areas with limited cell service. You can also take a screenshot of your pass so wifi is not needed.
National Parks requiring reservations
Yosemite National Park, California
Yosemite NP requires reservations to drive into or through on some days from April 13 through October 27, 2024. The reservation or day pass is valid for three days. The person who made the reservation must be in the vehicle and provide a valid ID the first day the reservation is used. Upon entering the park, a pass is placed inside the vehicle. The pass is not transferable to another vehicle. Passes are also not transferable to other people.
If you are unable to obtain a reservation, don’t worry. You have another opportunity to obtain a day pass. Yosemite will release another 1000 passes seven days before the pass date at 8 am pacific. The passes will sell out quickly, so I recommend you be at your computer ready to go when they are released.
If you enter by foot, bicycle, horseback, or Yosemite public transportation, you will not need a reservation.
If you have a national park pass, the reservation is $2, and without a national park pass, it is $35. The day pass for motorcycles is $30.
Reserve your Yosemite NP pass here or call (877) 444-6777.
More information about the Yosemite pass can be found here.
Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
Rocky Mountain NP requires timed entry reservations from May 24 through mid-October 2024. The park is open 24 hours a day. If you arrive outside the times listed below, you do not need a reservation for entry. Passes are valid for one day only.
RMNP offers two pass options
Bear Lake Road corridor and full park access: This pass will allow entry into the park from 5 am - 6 pm. The reservation does not guarantee parking. Parking does fill up, especially along Bear Lake Road. The park also has a shuttle service available in some areas.
Park access excluding Bear Lake Road: This pass will allow entry into the park between 9 am - 2 pm to Lily Lake, Lumpy Ridge, Longs Peak, Wild Basin, and East Inlet. Once you obtain your pass, you must sign up for a 2-hour entry window. You cannot do this at the park entrance or park offices. You will only be allowed entry during this 2-hour window. Reserve your 2-hour entry window below
Reservation Line (877)444-6777
Recreation.gov mobile app (IOS/Andriod)
The park will release 40 percent of the passes at 7 pm mountain time the day before for last-minute reservations.
If you enter the park before 9 a.m. and after 2 p.m., you are not required to make a reservation. Similarly, if you enter Bear Lake Road before 5 a.m. or after 6 p.m., you are not required to make a reservation.
The park pass and timed entry permit are free, but both charge a nonrefundable $2 processing fee. Passes are not transferable. Park entry fees will be collected at the gate as usual.
Reserve your Rocky Mountian NP pass here.
More information about the Rocky Mountian NP pass can be found here.
Haleakalā National Park, Hawaii
Haleakala NP requires a reservation to watch the sunrise at the park. Reservations will allow entry from 3 am-7 am and can be made up to 60 days in advance. Passes are valid for one day only. The person making the reservation must present a valid ID and reservation confirmation email. The pass is not transferable. Only one pass per vehicle is required.
A portion of the passes will be released 48 hours in advance for last-minute reservations.
The pass is free but requires a $1 processing fee.
Reserve your Haleakala NP pass here.
More information about the Haleakala NP pass can be found here.
Acadia National Park, Maine
Acadia NP does not require reservations for entry, but a timed entry reservation is required to drive Cadillac Summit Road from May 22 through October 27, 2024.
A reservation is not required if you drive Cadillac Summit Road on foot, by bicycle, or by taxi. The reservation does not guarantee parking.
There are two pass options.
Sunrise entry between 4 am - 6 am
90-minute entry window
One vehicle reservation per seven days
Day Pass
30-minute entry window
One vehicle reservation per day
Print a copy of your Cadillac Summit Road reservation. You can also download the recreation.gov app and screenshot your reservation. Reception in the park is spotty at best, and you may be unable to pull up your information in the app once you are there.
Reservations for Cadillac Summit Road can be made for 30% of the passes up to 90 days in advance. The remaining 70% will be released at 10 am Eastern time, 48 hours in advance.
The Cadillac Summit Road pass is $6 and includes a $2 nonrefundable processing fee.
Purchase a Cadillac Summit Road Pass here.
More information about the Acadia NP entry fees and Cadillac Summit Road reservations can be found here.
Glacier National Park, Montana
Glacier NP requires a Going to the Sun pass for the Going-To-The-Sun road coming from the west and North Fork from 6 am - 3 pm May 24 through September 8, 2024. July 1 through September 8, 2024, vehicle reservations are required for Many Glacier from 6 am - 3 pm. The pass is included if you have overnight reservations at one of the locations listed below. Passes are not required to access other park areas or those entering on foot or by bicycle.
The Going to the Sun pass is valid for one day. A photo ID must be presented with the pass at the gate. Passes are available 120 days in advance. Next-day passes will be released at 7 pm Mountain time for next-day entry, starting on May 23, 2024.
If you have reservations at the places listed below, the pass is included in your reservation. Proof of your reservation will be required.
Village Inn
Lake McDonald Lodge
Rising Sun Motor Inn
Granite Park
Sperry Chalets
Fish Creek Campground
Wilderness camping, boat rides, guided hikes, horseback rides, or bus tours are offered between the West and St. Mary Entrances of the park.
Reservations are not required if you enter these areas, although they may be restricted once they reach capacity.
Two Medicine
Polebridge
Highway 2
The Going to the Sun pass is $2 and is nonrefundable.
Pay entry fees in advance for Glacier NP here.
Purchase a Going to the Sun Pass here.
More information about the Glacier NP entry fees and the Going to the Sun pass can be found here.
Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico
Carlsbad Caverns does not require a reservation to enter the park itself but you do need to make a reservation to enter the cave. The reservations allow a 60 minute entry window. The reservation is not the same as the entrance fee. That is separate and is $15 per person and is valid for three days. Kids 15 and younger are free. If you have any of the qualifying National park passes (annual, senior, access, military) you do not have to pay the entry fee.
Tickets for reservations are released daily, one month in advance at 8 am Pacific.
The reservation to enter the cavern is $1 per person and is nonrefundable.
You can make a Carlsbad Cavern reservation here.
More information about Carlsbad Caverns reservations and entry fees can be found here.
mt. rainier National Park, washington
Mount Rainier has experienced a large increase in visitation over the last 10 years, leading to overcrowding and damage to fragile ecosystems. For 2024, they are piloting a timed entry reservation system for two areas of the park.
Paradise Corridor coming from the southwest (near Ashford, WA) or southeast (near Packwood, WA) will require a timed entry reservation from May 24 through September 2 for visitors coming to the park between 7 am and 3 pm.
If you already have a reservation at National Park Inn, Paradise Inn, or Cougar Rock Campground, you can use your reservation for entry after 1 pm the day of your reservation instead of a timed reservation to gain access to Paradise Corridor.
Sunrise Corridor from the northeast (via Enumclaw, WA) will require a timed entry reservation from July 4 through September 2 for visitors coming to the park between 7 am and 3 pm.
Visitors who acquire a first-come-first-served permit at White River Campground along the Sunrise Corridor may use their camping permit as their timed entry pass.
The entry reservations are good for a single day.
Some timed entry reservations will be available 90 days or approximately 3 months in advance in blocks.
Next-day timed entry reservations will be available at 7 pm starting May 24, 2024, for the Paradise Corridor and July 4, 2024, for the Sunrise Corridor.
More information about Mount Rainier National Park reservations and entry fees can be found here.
Arches national park
Nearly 2 million people visit Arches National Park annually, up almost 36 percent in the last decade. In 2022, NPS implemented the timed-entry vehicle reservation pilot, which has been successful in reducing congestion and improving the visitor experience in Arches National Park.
Visitors will need a timed-entry reservation from April 1 to October 31, 2024, from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Visitors who have already booked camping, a commercial tour, or Fiery Furnace tickets do not need to purchase a timed-entry reservation.
Reservations will be released three months in advance in monthly blocks (On March 1, reservations will be available for the month of June and any remaining reservations still available in May). A limited number will be available for purchase one day prior to entry at 7 p.m.
More information about Arches National Park reservations and entry fees can be found here.
Great smoky mountains natinoal park
Great Smoky Mountains National Park does not require a reservation for entry, but it does require a parking tag if you park somewhere for more than 15 minutes.
Each parking tag is valid for a single vehicle and must include a license plate number matching the vehicle in which it is displayed.
You can purchase your parking tag either online or onsite.
There are three pass options available:
Daily $5
Weekly $15
Annual $40
An interagency pass (senior, access, military, etc) is not accepted in place of a parking tag.
More information about Great Smoky Mountains National Park and parking tags can be found here.
National Park Service App
You can also find current information on all the National Parks with the National Park app. Be sure to download the official NPS app. After you download the free app you can choose a specific NP for updated information on reservations and passes.
National park reservations
We will continue to update this blog as changes to national park reservations occur.
Meet Stacy! Stacy and her husband, Phil, are a wanderlust couple who have been roaming the great USA for an epic 5 years! They ditched the daily grind to embark on thrilling adventures and inspire fellow dreamers to chase their travel dreams. Curious about how they do it? Check out their awesome YouTube channel, Today is Someday, where they're spilling all the secrets to living a life on the move. Get ready to pack your bags and join them on this incredible journey.
Author: Stacy Farley, You Me & the RV, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2020
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