These U.S. National Parks Require Reservations This Summer

If you’re going to visit a national park this summer, make sure you prepare, in some cases, by making a reservation.

Summer is a popular time to visit the United States’ national parks, but travelers should be aware that some of the popular destinations in the national parks system require a reservation to visit. Each park can determine their own system, and some parks haven’t determined whether reservations will be required this year. Last year, Mount Rainier National Park required reservations for timed entries, but according to the website recreation.gov, “no decisions have been made if timed entry reservations will be required for the 2025 summer season.”

Seven national parks require reservations, whether that is for vehicle entry or hiking permission.

Acadia National Park in Maine requires vehicle reservations between May 21 and Oct. 26.

In Utah, Arches National Park requires timed entry reservations for vehicles from April 1 to July 6 and Aug. 28 to Oct. 31, while Zion National Park requires permits to hike Angels Landing all year long.

Glacier National Park in Montana also requires timed entry reservations for vehicles, between June 13 and Sept. 28. Hawaii’s Haleakalā National Park requires reservations for every vehicle year-round.

Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado requires a timed entry reservation between May 23 and Oct. 13. For Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, it’s necessary to have day-use tickets to hike Old Rag Mountain between March 1 and Nov. 30.

Yosemite National Park in California required vehicle reservations during the summer of 2024, but it has not announced if that will be required this coming summer yet. “Yosemite National Park anticipates sharing details about this year's reservation system in the near future. We recognize the importance of providing clarity on that system as soon as possible to accommodate peak summer season travel planning,” its website states.

Reservations for national parks can be made on recreation.gov.