Travelers are going to have to plan ahead in 2025 as national parks across the country are now requiring reservations.
Timed visits are being implemented more as popular destinations are experiencing overcrowding amid “selfie-tourism.”
“Some national parks use a timed entry system to manage vehicle traffic. Other parks use tour reservations to manage access to a building or natural feature,” the National Park Service wrote on its website. “If you need a reservation, we recommend making it well in advance.”
Here are some of the most popular national parks that will require a reservation in 2025, which can be booked on Recreation.gov.
Zion National Park
The national park in Utah will require reservations to visit and hike Angels Landing in 2025. Reservations will be released on a rolling basis through a lottery system. It costs $6 to apply for a permit, and the fee covers an application for up to six people.
If accepted, you will be charged $3 for each person registered on the permit.
Yosemite National Park
Driving into Yosemite National Park is reservation-free until Feb. 7, 2025. But starting Feb. 8 through Feb. 23, a reservation for the California park is required 24 hours per day on Saturdays and Sundays, as well as on Washington’s Birthday, Monday, Feb. 17.
The National Park Service will announce further details on plans for visitor access in the summer 2025 at a later date.
Rocky Mountain National Park
Starting May 23, 2025, the national park in Colorado will implement a timed entry reservation system “that protects resources while creating opportunities for high-quality visitor experiences.” There will be two types of reservations available: one that provides access to the entire park, including Bear Lake Road Corridor, and one that has access to the “rest of the park,” excluding the Bear Lake Road Corridor.
The reservation period for the entire park will be from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Oct. 20, and the “rest of park” reservation period will be from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. through Oct. 14. There will be a two-hour window during which visitors can enter the park with no set time for departure. Reservations will be free except for a $2 processing fee.
Haleakala National Park
Haleakala National Park, home to Maui’s highest peak, will start to require reservations in order to hike to the summit during sunrise. As noted on its site, “Sunrise at the summit of Haleakala has been a visitor attraction since the late 1800s.”
Each vehicle entering the park from 3 a.m. to 7 a.m. will need a reservation, which has a fee of $1. Tickets are issued per vehicle and are limited to one per customer every three days.
Glacier National Park
Glacier National Park in Montana is set to reintroduce a vehicle reservation system in 2025, from June 13 to Sept. 28, for the west side of Going-to-the-Sun Road and the North Fork.
Reservations, which can be made beginning on Feb. 12, will be required from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., though visitors can still enter those areas without a reservation before or after the designated reservation hours. The only cost is a $2 processing fee.
Arches National Park
Utah’s Arches National Park will implement another timed-entry vehicle reservation system beginning April 1, 2025. Tickets will be required every day between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. However, the park will not require reservations from July 7 to Aug. 27 — after July 4th weekend until before Labor Day weekend — when visitation “traditionally slows down.”
Reservations, which are free besides a $2 processing fee, will be released three months in advance in monthly blocks.
