These National Parks Are Lifting Reservations for Fall

Here at Harvester we LOVE the outdoors, especially America’s National Parks. If you’re thinking about visiting one of these beauties, we suggest you read this article from Outside Magazine as reservation scheduling will be changing this Fall.

“With the summer high season wrapping up, a variety of national parks are doing away with timed-entry and reservation rules for the next few months

Since the pandemic and its corresponding visitation boom, several national parks have implemented timed-entry reservations to reduce crowding and ensure that visitors have access to parking during their stay. But after Labor Day, many of these national parks see entries drop, which allows them to lift those crowd-thinning rules. While parks like Haleakala National Park require year-round reservations because of consistent traffic, others reduce their reservation requirements for the winter. Want to make an impromptu visit to one of America’s crown jewels? These 7 destinations should be on your list.

Rocky Mountain National Park

In 2021, Rocky Mountain National Park implemented its first timed-entry system to fight park congestion. Entrances were based on 75 to 85 percent of the park’s parking capacity. Today, the park has two different timed entry systems: The main corridor requires a reservation from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m., while the rest of the park requires a reservation from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.. These requirements are in effect from May 27 to October 10, and the reservation costs $2.

Glacier National Park

Glacier National Park is notorious for its short visitation season on Going-to-the-Sun Road, which is often closed due to snow until late in the summer. The shortened season typically contributes to high traffic levels, which can make the park experience chaotic. The park’s current reservation system runs from May 27 through September 11, so it has already wrapped up for the year. Like Rocky Mountain National Park, Glacier has two different reservation systems: one for the Going-to-the-Sun Road, and one for the Polebridge Ranger Station. Each reservation costs $2.

Arches National Park

Arches National Park piloted its timed-entry season in 2022 in an attempt to curb the crowds. Visitors to the park need a reservation for every day of their visit if they plan to enter between 6 a.m. and 5 p.m.. The reservation season runs from April 3 to October 3. Reservations cost $2.

Yosemite National Park

During the park’s peak season, Yosemite National Park now requires a timed reservation from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.. These $2 reservations run from May 20 through September 30.

Iconic Park Destinations with Lapsing Restrictions

Some national parks do not require a timed reservation for general admission, but they do have seasonal restrictions on the most popular features within the park. Off-peak times offer a great opportunity to experience the nation’s most coveted national park destinations without the headache.”

To read about the rest of the National Park information, click here.

Photo credit: Original author

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