Overcrowding continues to be a serious challenge that national parks throughout the United States continue grappling with.
Some of the more popular national parks have implemented reservation and timed entry programs, often on a pilot basis, in order to help ease crowding.
As 2024 kicks off and travelers plan getaways for the year ahead, it’s important to know which national parks will continue such programs.
Arches National Park
At Arches National Park, where visits increased by 73 percent between 2011 and 2021, a pilot reservation program will be continued in 2024.Reservations for visits taking place between April 1 and Oct. 31 can be now made online through Recreation.gov. The reservation process for that time frame opened on Jan. 2.
Reservations are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Moving forward, reservation blocks will be released three months in advance of visits—meaning reservations to visit in April will be opened in January, the opportunity to make reservations to visit in May will open on Feb. 1, and so on.
Glacier National Park
If you’re planning to visit specific parts of Glacier National Park, you’ll likely need a vehicle reservation.For instance, from May 24 through Sept. 8, reservations are required for vehicles visiting the west side of Going-to-the-Sun Road and the North Fork between 6 a.m. and 3 p.m. Vehicle visitations to Many Glacier will require a reservation from July 1 through Sept. 8 from 6 a.m. until 3 p.m.
Rocky Mountain National Park
Another of the United States’ most popular public spaces, Rocky Mountain National Park, will also continue a pilot reservation system in 2024, beginning on May 24.Similar to the process that the park used in 2023, there will be two types of reservations available. There will be one permit for the Bear Lake Road Corridor, which includes the entire corridor and access to the rest of the park. The reservation period for this area of the park will be from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The second permit will provide access to the “rest of the park,” excluding the Bear Lake Road corridor. The “rest of park” reservation period will cover from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Permits issued using the reservation system will allow park visitors to enter the park within two-hour windows of availability, with no set time for departure.
The reservation system will apply to all areas of the park. The only cost associated with booking a reservation is a $2 Recreation.gov processing fee.
Yosemite National Park
Reservations will be required to drive into Yosemite during two specific periods for the summer of 2024. However, there will be no reservations required to visit the California park from now through Feb. 9.After that date, the reservation system will be as follows:
Feb. 10 through Feb. 25: A reservation is required 24 hours per day on Saturdays, Sundays, and on Washington’s Birthday (Monday, Feb. 19).
Feb. 26 through April 12: No reservation is required to drive into Yosemite.
April 13 through June 30: A reservation is required from 5 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and on holidays (May 27 and June 19).
July 1 through Aug. 16: A reservation is required from 5 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day.
Zion National Park
One of the most beloved parks in the Southwest and Utah’s first national park, Zion will also continue to follow a permit program in 2024.For instance, the park plans to continue its pilot lottery permit program for hikes to Angels Landing, an experience that involves five miles of hiking to a steep viewpoint. The lottery will open two months ahead of hike dates.
There will also be a lottery for next-day permits for the Angels Landing hike. This lottery will open at 12:01 a.m. and close at 3 p.m. MT on a daily basis. Those who win the lottery will be notified via email by 4 p.m. MST.
There’s a $6 fee to apply for an Angels Landing permit and a $3 fee per person once the permit is confirmed.
