Due to growing popularity and visitation, there are now eight National Parks and one National Monument that require a reservation in advance. This includes timed-entry reservations, vehicle reservations to drive a particular road, or hiking permit for select trails.
This article was updated with new information from the National Park Service on February 23, 2026. In 2026, several parks are discontinuing timed entry reservations, including Arches, Glacier, Mount Rainier, and Yosemite National Parks.
Why are National Parks Requiring Reservations?
For the last 10 years, visitation in the US national parks has steadily been growing.
Contrary to popular thought, this is not due to COVID. The US National Parks were a travel hotspot, even before 2020.
Visitation in the US National Park system peaked in 2024, with 331 million visitors (2016 was the next biggest year, with 900,000 fewer visitors).
However, some of the most visited US National Parks have received an even bigger increase in visitation after COVID, leading to overcrowding and creating long waits to enter the park, congestion on the hiking trails, and parking lots overflowing with cars and RV’s.
To combat these overcrowding issues, several National Parks are now requiring an advance reservation. It seems as if one or two National Parks join this growing list each year.
With that being said, in 2026 several parks discontinued timed entry reservations: Arches, Glacier, Mount Rainier, and Yosemite.
US National Parks that Require Reservations
As of February 2026, there are eight National Parks and one National Monument that requires an advance reservation.
Here is the list of National Parks that require a reservation:
- Acadia National Park (vehicle reservation)
- Carlsbad Caverns National Park (timed entry reservation)
- Glacier National Park (shuttle reservation)
- Haleakala National Park (vehicle reservation)
- Rocky Mountain National Park (timed entry reservation)
- Shenandoah National Park (hiking reservation)
- Yosemite National Park (hiking permit)
- Zion National Park (hiking reservation)
- Muir Woods (parking reservation)
These parks either require a timed entry reservation, an advance reservation for a hiking trail, or an advance reservation to drive a scenic road. Below we list the difference between the reservation types.
Yosemite National Park
Advance Reservations, Timed Entry Permits & Hiking Permits
There are several types of “reservations.” Here is a basic overview but we go into this in more detail for each specific park.
Timed Entry Reservation: To enter the park within a specific time slot (for example, between 6 am and 4 pm on July 4). This gives you access to the park, or a specific portion of the park, depending on the National Park and reservation type. Rocky Mountain National Park and Arches National Park fall under this category.
Vehicle Reservation: Most of the park is accessible, but a particular road has an advance reservation (for example, Cadillac Summit Road in Acadia).
Hiking Permit: There is no advance reservation to enter the park but a particular hiking trail requires an advance reservation. The best example of this is Angels Landing in Zion National Park.
Travel has entered an age where it is difficult to just show up and enter a National Park, restaurant, or museum, as many of the popular places draw such big crowds that reservations have become a necessity.
So, like it or not, these timed entry and vehicle reservations are most likely here to stay. Here’s what you need to know, so you can plan your trip, make your reservation, and have an enjoyable, stress-free visit to our nation’s incredible outdoor spaces.
IMPORTANT NOTE: This guide does not cover lodging and campsite reservations. This guide only covers those reservations necessary to enter the park and/or drive a particular road or hike a particular trail. But if you plan to stay in a campground or lodge run by the National Park Service, this also needs to be reserved in advance, which you can do on the official website for each park.
US National Parks that Require Reservations
Acadia National Park
Reservation Type: Vehicle Reservation for Cadillac Summit Road
Acadia National Park, located in Maine, protects a stretch of rocky coastline. Called the “Crown Jewel of the North Atlantic Coast,” granite coastal cliffs, estuary and intertidal habitats, and the tallest mountain on the Atlantic Coast of the United States are found here.
In 2024, 4 million people visited Acadia, making it the 7th most popular National Park that year.
Top Experiences: Drive Park Loop Road, watch the sunrise from Cadillac Mountain, hike the Precipice Trail, visit Sand Beach and Echo Lake, bike the carriage roads, and watch the sunset at Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse.
Plan Your Trip to Acadia National Park
Acadia National Park
Acadia National Park in October
Acadia National Park Advance Reservation
In Acadia National Park, visitors must have a reservation to drive Cadillac Summit Road between May and October. This road takes visitors to the highest point in Acadia National Park and it is an extremely popular sunrise location.
In order to drive Cadillac Summit Road between May and October, you will need to make a vehicle reservation in advance.
- 2026 Dates: May 20 through October 25
- Cost: $6 reservation fee
- Purchase Your Ticket: Reservations are made online only at recreation.gov.
There are two reservation types: sunrise reservations and daytime reservations.
The sunrise reservations are timed such that you arrive and park before sunrise. These are the hardest reservations to get so make your reservation as soon as you know your dates of travel.
The daytime reservations have timed entry spots throughout the day. You select the time that you plan to visit Cadillac Mountain, whether it is 10 am or 3 pm. You must enter Cadillac Summit Road within 30 minutes of your daytime reservation.
30% of the reservations are made 90 days in advance and 70% are released 2 days in advance at 10 am EST. The reservation fee is in addition to the park entrance fee.
For more information, visit the National Park Service website.
More Things to Know
The reservation fee is in addition to the park entrance fee.
You can visit the remainder of Acadia National Park without an advance reservation. The only place you need a vehicle reservation is for Cadillac Summit Road.
There is a lot more information about the details of the vehicle reservations on the official National Park website, which you can see here.
Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Reservation Type: Timed Entry Reservation
Carlsbad Caverns is an underground fantasy land of limestone chambers, stalactites and stalagmites, and long, twisting tunnels. It contains an astounding number of cool looking rock formations, including ribbon-like curtains, totem poles and soda straws, and it’s truly a sight to behold.
Top Experiences: Explore the caverns, watch as bats emerge from the natural entrance of the cave, walk a surface trail, view the night sky, and drive Walnut Canyon Desert Drive.
In our Guide to Carlsbad Caverns National Park, learn more about the best things to do and get helpful tips to have the best experience.
Inside Carlsbad Caverns
The Natural Entrance into Carlsbad Caverns
Carlsbad Caverns Timed Entry Reservation
Timed entry reservations are required to enter Carlsbad Caverns National Park. These timed entry reservations are required all year, with the only exceptions being the days the park is closed (Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Day). Reservations cost $1 which is in addition to the $15 park entrance fee. They are released 30 days in advance.
I recommend making your reservation the moment they become available because we have been getting reports that reservations are selling out almost instantly.
Make your reservation on recreation.gov. Learn more on the National Park Service website.
Glacier National Park
Reservation Type: Going-to-the-Sun Road shuttle
With glacier-capped mountains, dazzling aquamarine lakes, and some of the most exciting hiking trails in the country, it’s no wonder that Glacier National Park is called the “Crown of the Continent.”
Going-to-the-Sun Road is one of the best scenic drives in the United States. With that being said, it also draws a huge number of visitors.
Top Experiences: Drive Going-to-the-Sun Road, visit Many Glacier, hike to Grinnell Glacier and Hidden Lake, visit Logan Pass, hike the Highline Trail, visit Two Medicine, see Wild Goose Island, and spend some time at Lake McDonald.
Plan Your Trip to Glacier National Park
Glacier National Park (photo taken on the hike to Grinnell Glacier)
Hidden Lake
Glacier National Park Vehicle Reservation
In 2026, vehicle reservations will NOT be required.
However, it is good to know that the National Park Service website states that vehicles may be prohibited from entering the park once parking lots and roads become congested. So, plan to enter the park early to avoid any delays entering the park.
Going-to-the-Sun Road Shuttle Reservations
Glacier National Park is piloting a shuttle reservation system, which is new in 2026.
Starting July 1, 2026, parking at Logan Pass will be limited to three hours.
For those who plan to hike the Highline Trail, there will be an express hikers shuttle that leaves from both the east and west sides of the park. Tickets for the shuttle must be purchased online in advance. They will not be available for purchase on the shuttle.
All shuttle tickets will be available on a first-come, first-served basis on Recreation.gov. The ticket is free, aside from a $1 reservation fee.
There are two booking windows for tickets:
- A portion will be available 60 days in advance, starting on May 2, 2026, at 8 am MDT, on a rolling basis.
- The remainder will become available at 7 pm MDT for next-day entry starting June 30.
Haleakala National Park
Reservation Type: Vehicle Reservation
Haleakala is a massive volcano that makes up more than 75% of the island of Maui.
Watching the sun rise above the clouds is the #1 thing to do in Haleakala National Park. It is such a popular experience that you now must have an advance reservation to drive to the summit before sunrise.
Top Experiences: Watch the sunrise above the clouds, hike the Sliding Sands Trail, visit the viewpoints on the Haleakala summit, hike the Pīpīwai Trail, visit the Seven Sacred Pools of ‘Ohe’o, and go stargazing.
Plan Your Visit to Haleakala National Park
Sunrise at Haleakala National Park
Haleakala National Park Reservation
In order to enter the park early enough to watch the sunrise, you must make a reservation in advance. This is such a popular experience that the National Park Service requires an advance reservation to avoid overcrowding at the summit. These reservations allow you to enter the park between the hours of 3 am to 7 am.
If you do not have an advance reservation, you cannot enter the park until 7 am. From the park entrance, it takes another 30 minutes of driving to get to the summit.
Reservations can be made online up to 60 days in advance. The tickets are released at 7:00 am HST and usually sell out in 15 minutes. A second batch of tickets are released 48 hours in advance. You can only make your reservation online using the recreation.gov website. You cannot call to make your reservation or get one at the visitor center.
The ticket is free although there is a $1 reservation fee per ticket.
For more information about the reservation process, here is the link to the National Park Service website. And here is the link to make your reservation on the recreation.gov website.
If you are unable to get a reservation, you can either visit at sunset instead, or join a tour that includes sunrise on the summit.
If the idea of waking up super early to watch a sunrise is not the way you plan to spend your vacation, sunset is also fantastic. And there is no reservation necessary for this experience.
Rocky Mountain National Park
Reservation Type: Timed entry tickets
Rocky Mountain National Park is one of the highest national parks in the USA. There are sixty mountain peaks over 12,000 feet and many of these top out over 13,000 feet. Hiking and driving Trail Ridge Road top the list of things to do here.
In 2024, over 4.2 million people visited Rocky Mountain National Park, making it the 5th most visited park that year.
Top Experiences: Drive Trail Ridge Road, hike to Emerald and Dream Lakes, drive Old Fall River Road, hike to Sky Pond or Chasm Lake, take a stroll around Bear Lake, and take your pick from more of the great hikes to do in Rocky Mountain National Park.
Plan Your Trip to Rocky Mountain National Park
Hiking to Dream Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park
On the trail to Chasm Lake
Rocky Mountain National Park Reservations
To visit Rocky Mountain National Park from May 22 to October 12, 2026, you will need to reserve a permit in advance.
This has been implemented to limit crowds at the busiest sections of the park during the peak visitation season (the summer months).
Reservations are made online on the recreation.gov website. Each daily reservation costs $2 per vehicle, which is in addition to the $25 daily entrance fee or $35 weekly entrance fee per vehicle.
There are two different types of timed entry permits.
Timed Entry + Bear Lake Road: This permit gives you access to everything in Rocky Mountain National Park. It includes Bear Lake Road and the hikes that start here (Bear Lake, Emerald and Dream Lakes, Alberta Falls, Sky Pond, Hallett Peak, and Sprague Lake). The permit is in effect from 5 am to 6 pm.
Timed Entry (Doesn’t include access to Bear Lake Road): This permit gives you access to everything in Rocky Mountain National Park except for Bear Lake Road. You can drive Trail Ridge Road, visit the Alpine Visitor Center, hike to Longs Peak and to Chasm Lake, and hike Gem Lake. The permit is in effect from 9 am to 2 pm.
Timed entry tickets become available about one month in advance. On May 1, at 8 am MT, tickets become available for May 22 through June 30. On June 1, tickets become available for the month of July. And so on, with September 1 being the final release date (for tickets in October).
An additional batch of permits will be released at 7 pm MT the day before.
The official National Park Service website lists when the permits become available and has more information about the permits. Visit recreation.gov to make your reservation.
Shenandoah National Park
Reservation Type: Old Rag Day-Use Ticket
Shenandoah National Park preserves a section of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia. Skyline Drive is the main thoroughfare through the park, a road that twists and turns for 105 miles from north to south. For those who want to explore the park beyond Skyline Drive, 500 miles of hiking trails travel through the park.
This park’s most popular hiking trail, Old Rag, now requires a permit, to help ease crowd control.
Top Experiences: Drive Skyline Drive and visit the overlooks, hike to the top of Bearfence Mountain, hike Old Rag, visit Dark Hollow Falls, enjoy the view from Hawksbill Mountain, hike to Mary’s Rock, and hike a section of the Appalachian Trail.
Plan Your Trip to Shenandoah National Park
The view from Old Rag
Shenandoah National Park in October
Shenandoah National Park Reservations
From March 1 to November 30, you will need to have a day use permit to hike Old Rag. This is to limit the number of hikers on this very popular trail.
Tickets cost $2 and you can purchase it in advance on recreation.gov. Tickets are not available at the trailhead. Every person is required to have a ticket, regardless of age.
800 tickets are available each day. 400 are released 30 days in advance of the reservation date and the second half are released 5 days in advance. Tickets are released at 10 am EST.
The remainder of Shenandoah National Park is accessible without a reservation.
Learn more on the National Park Service website.
Yosemite National Park
Reservation Type: Hiking Permit (Half Dome)
Yosemite National Park is home to one of the most iconic landscapes in the United States. Half Dome, El Capitan, and Yosemite Valley are some of the most iconic and photographed landmarks in the US National Parks.
This is also one of the most visited parks, attracting 4.1 million people in 2024, putting it 6th on the most visited list that year.
Top Experiences: See Bridalveil Falls, hike the Mist Trail to Vernal and Nevada Falls, visit Tuolomne Meadows, hike to the top of Half Dome, enjoy the view from Glacier Point and Tunnel View, hike the Yosemite Falls Trail, visit Taft Point, and visit Mariposa Grove.
Plan Your Trip to Yosemite National Park
Hiking the John Muir Trail in Yosemite
The view from Glacier Point
Horsetail Fall | Gregory B Cuvelier/shutterstock.com
Yosemite National Park Timed Entry Reservations
In the past, timed entry reservations were required to visit in February (to view Horsetail Falls) and to visit the park during peak season (May through August). These have both been discontinued in 2026.
The only thing that is required in advance is a permit to hike Half Dome, for those who plan to add this hike onto their itinerary.
Half Dome Permit
If you have plans to hike Half Dome, you will need a permit to do so. This is done by a lottery system. From March 1 to March 31, enter the lottery on recreation.gov. Lucky lottery winners are notified in April.
We cover this in detail in our article How to Get a Permit to Hike Half Dome.
The Half Dome cables
Zion National Park
Reservation Type: Hiking/Wilderness Permits: Angels Landing, Subway & hiking the Narrows from the top-down
Zion National Park is one of the most popular National Parks in the USA. In 2024, it received 4.9 million visitors, making it the 2nd most visited park that year.
Currently, the only reservation you will need is to hike one of three trails in the park (Angels Landing, the Subway, and from the Narrows top-down). There is no reservation necessary to visit the remainder of the park or to ride the park shuttle.
Top Experiences: Hike Angels Landing, Observation Point, Hidden Canyon, Riverside Trail, Emerald Pools, Weeping Rock, and Canyon Overlook. One of the best experiences in the park is hiking the Zion Narrows.
Plan Your Trip to Zion National Park
The Angels Landing Trail
Zion National Park Reservations
Angels Landing
If you plan to hike Angels Landing, you must have a permit. Angels Landing has had record traffic in the past few years, creating long lines to get onto the chains. In response to this, the National Park Service now requires hikers to have a permit, in order to limit the number of people on the trail.
Permits are awarded by lottery, both seasonally and the day before your planned hike. It costs $6 to enter an application and if you are one of the lucky lottery winners, you will pay $3 per person.
A permit is necessary all year. Permits are released in groups, in roughly 3-month blocks of time. For dates of the seasonal lotteries, how the day-before lottery works, and the link to enter the lottery, visit the National Park Service website.
Tim on the Angels Landing Trail
The view from Angels Landing
The Subway
To hike the Left Fork of the Subway in Zion, a wilderness permit is necessary from April through October, whether you plan to hike from the bottom-up or do the top-down canyoneering route. Permits are awarded in a lottery 2 months in advance. Get the full details here.
The Narrows from the Top-Down
The Narrows is another extremely popular hike in Zion. There are two ways to hike the Narrows.
Most people do this hike from the bottom-up, starting at Riverside Walk, hiking upriver for a few miles, then turning around and retracing their steps. No permit is necessary for hiking the Narrows from the bottom-up.
The top-down route is a 16-mile point-to-point journey along the entire length of the Narrows. It can be done as one big day hike or split into a 2-day backpacking trip. A wilderness permit is necessary for both options. Permits become available 2 months in advance and are required all year.
The Narrows
The Narrows
Muir Woods National Monument
Reservation Type: Parking reservation
Muir Woods National Monument is located just outside of San Francisco, California. This national monument protects the old growth coastal redwoods that grow here.
To prevent overcrowding, visitors must have a parking reservation. These reservations are required all year and you will reserve a 30-minute arrival window. Reservations can sell out, especially on weekends and holidays, so make your reservation in advance. Reservations can be made up to 3 months in advance.
Learn more on the official website.
Muir Woods
National Parks That No Longer Require Timed Entry Reservations
Arches
In 2026, Arches National Park is not requiring timed entry reservations.
Glacier
Starting in 2026, Glacier National Park no longer requires timed entry vehicle reservations, however, they are piloting a new shuttle reservation system to help avoid congestion on park roads and parking lots.
Mount Rainier
For several years, Mount Rainier required timed-entry reservations during the summer months for the Paradise and Sunrise sections of the park. This was discontinued for 2026.
Yosemite
Timed-entry tickets for viewing Horsetail Falls in February and peak season (summer) reservations have been discontinued for 2026.
Sky Pond, Rocky Mountain National Park
Tips for Making Your Reservations
The first thing to do is to note when permits become available for the parks you plan to visit. For some parks, such as Glacier National Park, tickets become available as soon as January, so it’s important to start your planning at the start of the year, to avoid any unnecessary stress as it gets closer to your trip.
If a park requires a timed entry ticket and you are unable to get one, most parks still allow you to enter very early or late in the day. So, you don’t have to cancel your trip, but you will have to set your alarm clock early.
If you have a timed entry ticket, be aware that there could be a hefty number of people entering the park at the crack of dawn, those who were unable to score a timed entry ticket. Even if you have the first timed entry slot of the day, you could still find parking lots and hiking trails to be more crowded than expected, so it still pays to enter the park a bit early.
If you are on a tour, have an advance reservation for a campground or a backcountry permit, you may not need a timed entry ticket. I recommend checking the details of this on the official National Park website, because there’s a good chance it could save you the additional hassle of making timed entry reservation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which national parks require timed entry?
Acadia, Carlsbad Caverns, Haleakala, Rocky Mountain, Shenandoah, and Zion National Parks all require advance reservation. Muir Woods National Monument also requires a parking reservation made in advance.
Does Yellowstone require an advance reservation?
No, Yellowstone National Park does not require an advance reservation.
If you have any questions about which National Parks require reservations let us know in the comment section below.
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