Why You Should Plan Ahead for Your National Park Visi Outdoors
Want to Visit a National Park This Summer Start Planning Now
Popular spots like Yosemite and Arches will require reservations to limit crowding
Getty Images Yosemite National Park The number of people visiting U.S. national parks set records last year, with travelers preferring outdoorsy destinations that make social distancing easier in these COVID times. Tennessee/North Carolina’s (GSMNP) led the nation with 14.1 million visits, breaking its own 2019 record by 1.5 million. Parks from Maine’s (4 million visitors) to Montana/Wyoming’s (4.9 million) also set new highs. To manage last year’s crowds, the introduced reservations systems in about a dozen popular parks — a strategy it will use in some parks again this year, says Kathy Kupper, an NPS public affairs specialist. It was effective, she notes, and received well by visitors; 91 percent of those surveyed supported the restrictions put in place at GSMNP. Some of the 2022 reservations systems have been announced; others are still in development. They will limit access to popular trails and roadways or introduce timed-entry programs, and a few may cap maximum visitors per day (as National Park did last summer). “We recognize that people have popular parks on their bucket list to visit, and we want to help them have the best possible experience at those parks,” Kupper says. The best way to track availability in parks, she adds, is to check their websites or use the new . Here’s a rundown of the reservation systems already announced for nine popular parks this coming busy season. Keep in mind that even if you have a Senior Pass giving free access to all parks, you’ll still need a reservation where required — and you’ll need to book lodging, camping and many wilderness and backcountry areas separately. If you prefer making your reservations by phone to booking online at , call 877-444-6777. Should no reservations be available at the park you want to visit, Kupper offers this advice: “We try to remind people there are 423 parks in the National Parks system, and encourage them to look at some they that might be closer than they think.” (Of those sites, 63 are officially designated as national parks.) of Acadia National Park Maine
will be required for vehicles on the popular Cadillac Summit Road from May 25 to Oct. 22, 2022 (foot and bike traffic exempt). They cost $6 and are bookable via Recreation.gov. Thirty percent of them will be made available 90 days in advance of a given date, while the remaining 70 percent will be released two days before the date at 10 a.m. of Arches National Park Utah
A new timed-entry program runs this year from April 3 to Oct. 3, 2022, with reservations available three months in advance of a visit date on (new reservations will become available once a month; see the park’s for details). Each reservation, which includes all passengers in a vehicle, gives entry to the park during a one-hour time slot from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily (visitors can then stay as long as they like that day). Guided tours are exempt from the reservation requirement, as is foot and bike traffic. of Glacier National Park Montana
Driving Glacier’s famous Going-to-the-Sun Road will require a reservation from May 27 to Sept. 11, 2022, as will the park’s North Fork area. Reservations for each cost $2, bookable now through . Visitors with lodging or camping reservations do not need to purchase the vehicle pass. of Great Smoky Mountains National Park North Carolina Tennessee
Last year’s Cades Cove Vehicle-Free Wednesdays program will continue this year from May 4 to Sept. 28, to allow for pedestrian and bicycle use. Although GSMNP instituted a reservations system for hiking (and parking near) Laurel Falls Trail last summer, reservations aren’t currently required. This may change as the park reviews crowding. Check its for updates. of Haleakalā National Park Maui Hawaii
Reservations for vehicles are required to enter the park from 3 to 7 a.m. daily (and year-round) for the popular sunrise viewings atop the volcano. You can book one 60 days in advance at for $1. For last-minute planners, Haleakalā will release a limited number two days in advance of a date. of Rocky Mountain National Park Colorado
From May 27 to Oct. 10, 2022, the will require a timed-entry reservation, with two options. One gives you access through the Bear Lake Road corridor, available from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. The other is for the rest of the park, excluding the Bear Lake Road corridor, available from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily (with either reservation, visitors can then stay as long as they like that day). Reservations can be made at for $2 beginning at 10 a.m. MDT on the first day of each month (from June to September) for all of the following month. (Note: They can be made beginning at 10 a.m. MDT on May 2 for park entry May 27-June 30.) Initially, 25 percent to 30 percent of reservations will be held for release a day in advance of entry to enable last-minute planners some access. Those with “service reservations” (including camping, commercial tours and horseback riding) are exempt. of Shenandoah National Park Virginia
From March 1 to Nov. 30, hikes to Shenandoah’s Old Rag Mountain — including the Saddle, Ridge and Ridge Access trails — require an Old Rag day-use ticket, in addition to a park entrance pass. The tickets, available at for $1, are currently being released about one month in advance of a given date. of Yosemite National Park California
Yosemite is again implementing a park-access reservation system, as it did in 2021. You’ll need a reservation to drive into Yosemite National Park from May 20 to Sept. 30, 2022, if you’re arriving between 6 a.m. and 4 p.m., available on starting March 23 and good for a three-day visit. If you haven’t made plans early, you still have a shot: Thirty percent of reservations will be available seven days before the arrival date. Reservations open at 8 a.m. Pacific time and go quickly, so register on the site and log in promptly at that time. Those who book organized tours or in-park lodging or camping will have park access, with no reservations needed. of Zion National Park Utah
Hiking ’s popular and historically crowded Angels Landing route requires a permit, as of March 31 (and continuing until further notice). Permits are available through a series of Recreation.gov lotteries once each quarter for hikes the following quarter (see lottery schedule ). Hikers who don’t get a permit for their hike date in the quarterly lottery, and last-minute hikers, can try their luck one other way: Every day, Zion also has a Day-Before Lottery for permits good the next day. Lottery registration costs $6, with awarded permits costing an additional $3 per person. Permits can be for groups of up to six people. Join today and save 25% off the standard annual rate. Get instant access to discounts, programs, services, and the information you need to benefit every area of your life. Bill Fink is an award-winning travel writer specializing in outdoor adventure, with credits in dozens of publications, including Afar, National Geographic Traveler and Outside. Editor's note: This article was originally published on March 2, 2021. It's been updated to reflect new information. More on Travel br
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