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Why More National Parks Should Require Reservations
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I’m an outdoor enthusiast who loves the United States national parks — but many of these destinations are becoming too loved.
In this article, I share why I think more national parks should institute reservations.
If you’re curious, I’ll also cover which national parks will require passes and permits in 2024. Plus, I explain how to obtain these national park reservations and why each site is unique.
Bonus: I even share worthy alternatives with similar features and fewer crowds!
Want to jump around?
Why More National Parks Should Require Reservations
In my opinion, more national parks should require timed entry passes and hiking permits. Many of these destinations have seen significant increases in visitor numbers.
For example, Acadia National Park has seen a 60% increase in visitors in the past decade. Arches National Park experienced a 73% increase between 2011 and 2021. Zion National Park has seen a 90% increase in visitor numbers since 2010.
The impact on these natural places and their inhabitants — which the parks aim to protect — is undeniable. Exasperated environmental damage is the most pressing issue.
But visitors’ enjoyment has also been negatively affected by the crowds. Park resources including staff and facilities are being overworked. Traffic on the roads and trails adds to a frustrating experience.
But these issues can be mitigated through reservations. They limit visitor numbers in popular areas and lessen crowds during the busiest times of the year. And all it takes is a little advanced planning on your part!
National Parks That Require Already Reservations in 2024
Acadia National Park, Maine
📍 Google Maps | 🌳 Acadia National Park Website | Cost: $20 per person, $35 per vehicle, $6 Cadillac Summit Road reservation
Why Visit
Acadia National Park boasts the rugged beauty of Maine’s North Atlantic coastline. Here, the rocky shore meets dense forests, geologic formations, mountains, and wetlands. The diverse landscape can be explored along historic motor roads, carriage roads, and hiking trails.
The park resides on Mount Desert Island and is split geographically. Highlights on the more secluded west side include:
- Visiting the Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse
- Swimming at Echo Lake Beach
- Searching tidepools along the Seawall
- Hiking the 3.9-mile St. Sauveur and Acadia Mountain Loop
The more popular east side also features unique activities, like:
- Horseback riding along carriage roads
- Driving the scenic, 27-mile Park Loop Road
- Exploring the gardens, museum, and nature center at Sieur de Monts
- Hiking at Sand Beach to Otter Point
- Driving and hiking to the Cadillac Mountain summit
How to Reserve
Acadia has seen a 60% increase in visitors in the past decade. Now, more than 4 million people visit annually. Cadillac Mountain is the park’s tallest peak and the 3-mile, two-lane road to the summit is incredibly popular.
Reservations are required for Cadillac Summit Road from late May through late October. 30% of sunrise and daytime vehicle reservations can be purchased up to 90 days in advance of the reservation date. 70% of reservations can be purchased at 10 am (ET) two days in advance of the reservation date.
Park Alternative
Maine’s Camden Hills State Park is also characterized by mountains and sea. This lesser-visited state park is just an hour and a half west of Acadia.
Arches National Park, Utah
📍 Google Maps | 🌳 Arches National Park Website | Cost: $15 per person, $30 per vehicle, $2 timed entry ticket
Why Visit
Arches National Park is located near Moab, Utah. Over 2,000 natural stone arches appear throughout its desert landscape. Other formations include pinnacles, towers, and balanced rocks.
These sights are visible from the 18-mile scenic drive and designated trails. Hiking, horseback riding, rock climbing, and canyoneering can be experienced at this park.
Popular places to visit within Arches National Park include:
- Delicate Arch and Wolfe Ranch
- Devils Garden and Landscape Arch, the longest arch in North America
- North Window, Turret Arch, and Double Arch
- Balanced Rock viewpoint and trail
How to Reserve
Arches National Park sees nearly 2 million visitors annually. Visitation increased by 73% between 2011 and 2021.
Vehicle timed entry tickets will be required between April 1-October 31, 2024 during the hours of 7 am-4 pm. First-come, first-serve reservations can be purchased on recreation.gov starting on January 2, 2024 at 8 am (MST).
Tickets will be released in monthly blocks, available 3 months in advance. For example, April reservations will be available on January 2. May reservations will be available on February 1 at 8 am (MST), etc.
April-May and October-November are the best times to visit Moab and Arches. Temperatures are more mild and the park is generally less congested. Consider visiting outside non-peak hours if you’re planning a summer trip.
Park Alternative
More than 80 natural arches appear in Canyonlands National Park, another Moab attraction. It’s just 30 minutes from Arches and sees less than half the annual visitors.
Glacier National Park, Montana
📍 Google Maps | 🌳 Glacier National Park Website | Cost: $20 per person, $35 per vehicle, $2 timed entry ticket
Why Visit
Glacier National Park stuns visitors to Montana with its vast, mountainous wilderness. Glaciers, valleys, meadows, and crystal-clear lakes dot the alpine landscape.
An incredible 700 miles of trails grant backcountry access. But the park is also famed for its man-made features: historic chalets, lodges, and Going-to-the-Sun road.
Hiking is a major activity at Glacier National Park. Trails for every skill level surround the following sites:
- Lake McDonald
- North Fork and Goat Haunt
- Many Glacier Valley
- St. Mary Valley and Logan Pass
- Two Medicine Valley
How to Reserve
Nearly 3 million people visit Glacier National Park annually. It’s one of the top ten most visited US national parks.
A portion of vehicle timed entry tickets will be available 120 days in advance starting on January 25, 2024 at 8 am (MST). The remaining tickets will be released on recreation.gov at 7 pm (MDT) for next-day entry starting on May 23, 2024.
Here are the areas that will require vehicle timed entry tickets in 2024, along with their applicable dates:
- Going-to-the-Sun Road West (from the Apgar Checkpoint): May 24-September 8, 2024
- North Fork: May 24-September 8, 2024
- Many Glacier: July 1-September 8, 2024
Timed entry tickets to these areas are required from 6 am to 3 pm daily. Vehicle reservation is not required outside of these busier hours.
Note that in 2024, Apgar Village amenities no longer require a timed entry ticket. The same applies to the east side of Going-to-the-Sun Road beyond Rising Sun.
Park Alternative
You’ll need a passport, but Waterton Lakes National Park of Canada is a great alternative to Glacier. The dramatic landscape is equally as beautiful. It’s roughly an hour north and receives a sixth of the number of visitors.
Haleakalā National Park, Hawaii
📍 Google Maps | 🌳 Haleakalā National Park Website | Cost: $15 per person, $30 per vehicle, $1 Summit District sunrise reservation
Why Visit
Haleakalā National Park is located on the island of Maui in Hawaii. It features volcanic landscapes and subtropical rainforests, home to unique plants and native Hawaiian forest birds. Cultures of humans past and present are also preserved at this park.
Haleakalā is split into two districts. The coastal Kīpahulu District is known for its ocean views, waterfalls, and Hawaiian cultural experiences. Highlights here include:
- The bamboo forest along the Pīpīwai Trail
- The 4-mile hike to Makahiku Falls and Waimoku Falls
- Cultural demonstrations and interpretive programs at Hale Hālāwai
The Summit District encompasses the park’s volcanic crater wilderness and native shrubland. Key activities include:
- Bird watching at Hosmer Grove
- Hiking Keoneheʻeheʻe Trail down the cinder slope
- Stargazing from the Haleakalā Summit
- Viewing the sunrise from the Pu`u Ula ula summit, Haleakalā Visitor Center, Kalahaku Overlook, or Leleiwi Overlook
How to Reserve
In recent years, Haleakalā National Park has seen less than a million annual visitors. But sunrise viewing is a bucket list experience at this park, causing early morning crowds on its steep mountain roads.
Year-round, a sunrise reservation to the Summit District is required during the hours of 3-7 am.
Reservations can be made on recreation.gov up to 60 days in advance. A portion of reservations are made available 48 hours in advance of any given day. Online tickets are released at 7 am (HST).
Note that these reservations are extremely limited. Only 50 vehicles can access the four sunrise viewing areas per day. Consider visiting at sunset if you’re unable to attain a ticket.
Park Alternative
Waiʻānapanapa State Park lacks the mountain vistas of Haleakalā, but evidence of volcanic activity is abundant. Explore a black sand beach and blowholes, plus a native hala forest.
Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
📍 Google Maps | 🌳 Rocky Mountain National Park Website | Cost: $15 per person, $30 per vehicle, $2 timed entry ticket
Why Visit
Rocky Mountain National Park features the best of Colorado scenery. Visitors can explore alpine meadows, dramatic peaks, and pristine lakes. Mountain wildlife like elk, bighorn sheep, marmots, and pikas call this park home.
Sights and attractions appear along two scenic drives, open seasonally. Experience Old Fall River Road or Trail Ridge Road. The latter is the highest continuously paved road in the United States. It connects the towns of Estes Park to the east and Grand Lake to the west.
355 miles of hiking trails sprawl throughout Rocky Mountain. The most popular trails appear along the Bear Lake Road Corridor. These hikes include:
- Bear Lake, an easy 0.7-mile loop
- Alberta Falls, a family-friendly 1.6-mile trail
- Emerald Lake, a moderate 3-mile out-and-back
- Sky Pond, a challenging 8.6-mile trail
How to Reserve
Rocky Mountain National Park saw a 44% increase in visitation from 2012 to 2019. Annual visitors totaled 4.3 million in 2022.
Bear Lake Road Corridor is the most popular area of the park. From May 24-October 20, 2024, this region will require a Park Access+ reservation from 5 am-6 pm. It provides access to all other areas of the park as well.
Standard Park Access reservations provide access to all areas except the Bear Lake Road Corridor. These timed entry permits are required from 9 am-2 pm starting on May 24 to October 15, 2024.
Both types of reservations can be purchased on recreation.gov as early as 8 am (MST) on May 1, 2024. This round of reservations will grant entry between May 24 and June 30, 2024.
The next release will occur on June 1, offering reservations for July and any unsold June dates. On July 1, you’ll be able to purchase August reservations, plus any unsold July dates. This monthly structure continues through September 1.
Throughout peak season, a portion of timed entry tickets will be sold at 7 pm (MST) daily, granting next-day entry.
Park Alternative
Brainard Lake Recreation Area lies 30 minutes south of Rocky Mountain. Its jagged peaks, alpine lakes, and abundant wildlife mirror several of the national park’s best qualities.
Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
📍 Google Maps | 🌳 Shenandoah National Park Website | Cost: $15 per person, $30 per vehicle, $1 Old Rag Mountain ticket
Why Visit
Shenandoah National Park placed #1 on our ranking of the best US national parks. It scored especially high in the areas of biodiversity, affordability, and accessibility.
This Virginia park is just 75 miles from Washington D.C. but starkly different from the bustling capital. Waterfalls, woodlands, and fields of wildflowers cover the Blue Ridge Mountain landscape. Several vistas appear along Skyline Drive, a 105-mile scenic route that’s open year-round.
Other key features of Shenandoah National Park include:
- Hikes throughout the high-elevation Big Meadows region
- Wilderness areas with backcountry camping
- The historic Skyland resort’s lodging, dining room, and stables
- Corbin Cabin, part of the National Register of Historic Places
- Old Rag Mountain, the park’s most popular destination
How to Reserve
Shenandoah was designated a national park in 1935. The year of 1977 saw record-breaking visitation, totaling 2.8 million people. In 2022, Shenandoah saw half that number.
However, the park recently noticed a problem area: Old Rag Mountain. This popular peak features a rock scramble section. The park’s 2020 study found that large numbers of impatient hikers were going off-trail, damaging the natural landscape. Crowds at the summit also conflicted with established Wilderness values.
Old Rag Mountain now requires a day-use permit from the beginning of March to the end of November. Every hiker must obtain a ticket, regardless of age. Tickets grant access to the entire Old Rag area, including Saddle, Ridge, and Ridge Access trails.
800 tickets are available per day during peak season. Half of the tickets will be released 30 days prior to the reservation date. The other half can be purchased on recreation.gov 5 days in advance of a given visit day. The later batch will be released at 10 am (EST) daily.
Note that as of 2024, Shenandoah National Park will also require backcountry camping permits.
Park Alternative
Grayson Highlands State Park is more of a weekend getaway than a day trip from DC. It’s 4 hours southwest of Shenandoah but offers similar mountain views and activities like hiking, camping, and bouldering.
Yosemite National Park, California
📍 Google Maps | 🌳 Yosemite National Park Website | Cost: $20 per person, $35 per vehicle, $2 Horsetail Fall reservation, $2 Peak-Hours reservation, $20 Half Dome permit
Why Visit
Hands down, Yosemite is one of the best national parks in California. The park amazes visitors with its glacier-carved valleys and summit views. Granite rock formations, a grove of giant sequoias, and cascading waterfalls make Yosemite iconic.
Key experiences at this top California destination include:
- Driving the 46-mile road from Crane Flat to Tioga Pass
- Backpacking sections of the John Muir and Pacific Crest Trails
- Hiking Half Dome and other trails in the Yosemite Valley
- Rock climbing in Tuolumne Meadows — or perhaps on the face of El Capitan
- Marveling over 500 giant sequoias in Mariposa Grove
Yosemite is also beloved for its diverse wildlife. American black bears, Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep, Sierra Nevada red fox, and Pacific fishers are unique to the park.
How to Reserve
3.67 million people visited Yosemite National Park in 2022. However, 75% of these visitors experienced the park between May through October.
The park aims to combat crowds on trails and gridlock traffic with its peak-hours reservation system. Online reservations are required from 5 am-4 pm on the following dates:
- Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays from April 13-June 30, 2024
- Daily from July 1-August 16, 2024
- Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays from August 17-October 27, 2024
The majority of reservations will be available on recreation.gov at 8 am (PT) on January 5, 2024. Additional reservations will be available at 8 am (PT) seven days before the arrival date.
Though outside peak season, certain February dates (10, 11, 17, 18, 19, 24, and 25) also require reservations. This is because Horsetail Fall may glow orange at sunset during this time of the year.
Horsetail Fall reservations are currently available for purchase. Half of the available day-use tickets will be released at 8 am (PT) 2 days prior to a reservation date.
Finally, Half Dome will also require day-use permits in 2024. This applies when the cables are up, generally from the Friday preceding Memorial Day to the Tuesday following Columbus Day.
300 hikers are allowed beyond the base of the subdome each day. Permits are awarded through a pre-season lottery system, which can be entered between March 1-31, 2024. Daily lotteries are held from May 22-October 13, 2024. The latter can be applied to 2 days in advance of a desired date.
Park Alternative
Stanislaus National Forest is 2 hours northwest of Yosemite. Like the national park, this mountainous wilderness features rivers, waterfalls, and challenging hikes up granite peaks.
Zion National Park, Utah
📍 Google Maps | 🌳 Zion National Park Website | Cost: $20 per person, $35 per vehicle, $6 Angels Landing permit
Why Visit
Zion is the most popular of Utah’s national parks. Stunning rock layers streak the sheer canyon walls, which rise hundreds of feet.
Visitors can admire the landscape on the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive and by biking the Pa’rus Trail. Canyoneers see a unique perspective of the park’s many cracks and crevasses.
Hikers will also appreciate Zion, home to some of the state’s best trails. Premier hiking areas include:
- The Narrows, which submerges visitors in the Virgin River for up to 16 miles
- Kolob Canyons Wilderness, the lesser-visited northwest region of the park
- East Rim Wilderness, most known for Observation Point
- Zion Canyon, the park’s most popular area with options for all skill levels
- Angels Landing, an iconic trail in Zion Canyon — not for those with a fear of heights!
How to Reserve
Zion National Park has seen a 90% increase in visitor numbers since 2010. Nearly 4.7 million people entered the park in 2022.
However, Zion has yet to institute a timed entry system. But Angels Landing, one of its most popular trails, now requires hikers to obtain a permit. Its intention is to protect park resources and improve visitors’ experiences.
Angels Landing is considered a dangerous hike. The trail has significant exposure. Chain sections help hikers navigate cliffs that plummet up to 1,000 feet on either side. Crowds exacerbate hazards, while the permit system mitigates risks. Since 2022, Zion has issued 400,000 Angels Landing permits.
Timed permits for this hike are required year-round. They’re issued on a lottery system with the following key dates:
- Hiking from March 1-May 31, 2024: lottery available from January 1 at 8 am (MT)-January 20, 2024 at 11:59 pm (MT)
- Hiking from June 1-August 31, 2024: lottery available from April 1 at 8 am-April 20, 2024 at 11:59 pm
- Hiking from September 1-November 30, 2024: lottery available from July 1 at 8 am-July 20, 2024 at 11:59 pm
- Hiking from December 1, 2024-February 28, 2025: lottery available from October 1 at 8 am-October 20, 2024 at 11:59 pm
Hikers can also apply to a day-before lottery. This opens daily at 12:01 am and closes at 3 pm (MT).
Park Alternative
Red Cliffs National Conservation Area is near St. George, less than an hour west of Zion. Its red sandstone cliffs, 130+ miles of trails, canyoneering opportunities, and desert species rival the national park’s.
Tips for Making National Park Reservations
Set a Calendar Reminder for Reservation Release Dates
It’s easy to overlook permit release dates when a trip is still months away. I recommend setting a reminder on your calendar to keep track of key dates. Some parks offer passes a day or week ahead of a desired visit date. But better to plan ahead than leave things up to luck!
Visit During Non-Peak Hours
Missed your opportunity to snag a timed entry permit? Remember that most parks only require tickets during busy hours, even in peak season. For example, you can always access Glacier National Park without a permit after 3 pm. Skip the crowds and go for a sunset hike!
Explore Less Popular Areas in a Park
Each national park has its iconic experiences. But trust me, sights off the beaten path seldom disappoint! Don’t shy away from less popular areas.
For example, don’t stress if you can’t get a Park Access+ pass to the Bear Lake Road Corridor in Rocky Mountain National Park. The standard Park Access pass is far easier to come by and you’ll still have plenty of great hiking options.
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I hope this guide to national park reservations in 2024 has been helpful! Further prepare for your next adventure with our national parks packing list.
