​Getting a national park reservation can be a pain. Here’s what you should know.

For the last few years, scoring a chance to visit some of America’s marquee national parks has been a competitive sport. People across the world had to hover over keyboards and smartphones until 8 a.m. local time, when iconic parks released vehicle reservations on Recreation.gov. Only the quickest fingers would score a pass to explore pristine lakes, hike sheer peaks, and roam beargrass-dotted meadows in the high summer season.

Not anymore. For summer 2026, two of America’s most popular national parks—Montana’s Glacier and California’s Yosemite—will no longer require entry reservations. Only one, Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, will retain the ticketed-entry system it introduced in 2021 to help manage overcrowding.

While this is welcome news for procrastinators and last-minute trip-planners, some advocates wonder if the end of reservations will lead to a return to the jam-packed trails and parking lots the reservation system was designed to address in the first place.

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Why national parks required reservations

The ups and downs of the park’s so-called managed access systems began with the National Park Service’s Centennial in 2016 and skyrocketed with the COVID pandemic, when park visitation increased to record numbers. “We’re seeing unprecedented levels of sustained demand in a lot of these parks,” says Will Rice, an assistant professor of parks, tourism, and recreation management at the University of Montana who studies reservation systems.

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So, after years of struggling to manage extended lines at park entrances, overflowing parking lots, and shoulder-to-shoulder crowds at popular vistas, five parks rolled out pilots of managed access systems to stem the tide. 

California’s Yosemite National Park instituted a day-use reservation system in 2020. Glacier and Rocky Mountain followed suit in 2021, and Utah’s Arches National Park joined the club in 2022. Mount Rainier National Park in Washington got on board in 2024.

Additionally, Arches and Mount Rainier will do away with their vehicle reservation systems this year.

New, relaxed reservation rules

But last year, Yosemite scaled back its requirements. Then, in mid-February, park leadership announced it would end the timed-reservation system altogether: Visitors will no longer need an advance ticket to enter the park this summer. Officials cited a 2025 study on visitor use patterns to explain the change, noting in a press release that traffic, parking, and visitation remained at manageable level on weekdays.

“While reservation systems are one valuable management tool, our data demonstrates that a season-wide reservation requirement is not the most effective approach for the coming season,” said Superintendent Ray McPadden in the written statement.

Glacier National Park officials reported they would no longer require vehicle reservations for 2026. But a recent press release warns that much-loved areas like Many Glacier, Two Medicine, and North Fork may close temporarily when they fill up. Glacier also introduced two visitor-management tools for the season: an overhauled shuttle system on Going-to-the-Sun Road and parking time limits at Logan Pass.

The new shuttle rules represent a significant change. Previously, Glacier’s free shuttle buses were first-come, first-served, with visitors sometimes waiting extended periods to board a bus during the busiest times.

This year, visitors will have to book shuttle tickets. Additionally, the buses will operate as express routes to Logan Pass, eliminating many of the stops at trailheads along the way. At Logan Pass, a high-altitude destination with stunning trails and a small parking lot, day visitors will now be limited to three hours of parking.

Arches National Park’s vehicle reservation system is also going away this year.

Rocky Mountain National Park, on the other hand, will keep its timed-entry system, in which visitors make advance reservations to enter during a two-hour window. “We are not taking a one-size-fits-all approach,” wrote Public Affairs Officer Kyle Patterson in an email. “Each park has unique infrastructure, visitation patterns, gateway community input, and operational needs. Our responsibility is to make decisions that expand access where possible and use targeted tools only where necessary. For Rocky Mountain National Park, timed entry has been successful.”

A handful of other parks will still require reservations to visit specific locations, like Cadillac Summit at Acadia and Angel’s Landing at Zion.

Balancing access and crowding

For America’s uber-popular parks, figuring out how to balance protecting resources, managing visitors, and ensuring access to everybody has proved challenging. Since implementing reservation systems, Glacier, Rocky Mountain, and Yosemite saw lines at entrance stations and shuttle buses dwindle, parking cease to be a battle, traffic gridlock ease, and people enjoy their experience more.

But limiting access, even if only during peak hours, necessarily leaves some people out. Under these systems, a certain type of visitor is more likely to snag the golden ticket. At the very least, it’s someone who plans well in advance.

More often, it’s someone with high-speed Internet and a credit card, a job that allows for vacation planning months ahead, and familiarity both with Recreation.gov’s reservation platform and the English language. (Recreation.gov is only available in English, though it does provide a how-to on using Google Chrome to translate.)

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Advocates for the outdoors worry that means historically marginalized communities—who may already face challenges in accessing public lands, from lack of resources for leisure travel to fear for their physical safety outdoors—are left out.

For some, reservation systems are “a deterrent on top of deterrents when it comes to our national parks,” says Teresa Baker, founder of the In Solidarity Project diversity initiative. “I think [ending reservations] will give access to people who don’t know how to navigate the reservation system because it’s not the easiest thing to do.”

Still, Baker says she worries about the parks’ ability to manage another visitation surge in an era of slashed budgets. “I think it could be a headache for the park if a whole bunch of people show up at once, especially with lower staff.”

Cassius M. Cash, president and CEO of the nonprofit Yosemite Conservancy, echoed that sentiment in an email: “With record visitation in recent years and no reservation system in place this year, we’re asking visitors to come prepared, be patient, and treat the park—and each other—with respect.”

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Thankfully, one other crowd-control tactic won’t be considered: raising entry fees. Unlike amusement parks and ski resorts that use demand-based systems to jack up prices during particularly popular times, national parks belong to everybody.

Still, high demand and limited supply mean that visitors to top-tier parks should come expecting to share—and to wait in line. The National Park Service’s often-given advice to “pack your patience” goes double this year.

How to reserve at Glacier and Rocky Mountain National Parks

These are among the most popular national parks in the country that require reservations this year. Here’s how to book.

Glacier National Park: Timed-entry vehicle reservations are no longer required during the high season, but everyone ages two and up will now need an advance ticket to ride the free shuttle on Going-to-the-Sun Road. Shuttles typically run throughout the summer starting in early July, but the schedule depends on weather conditions; check the park’s website for updates.

Cost: $1 processing fee (does not include park entry fee)

Release dates: The park will release a block of shuttle tickets 60 days in advance, on a rolling basis, starting on May 2, 2026, at 8 a.m. Mountain Time. Additional tickets go on sale at 7 p.m. the night before your intended ride, starting June 30, 2026. Reserve at Recreation.gov.

Good to know: Shuttle tickets can’t be transferred between people; bring a photo ID to board the shuttle.

Rocky Mountain National Park: Reservations are required from May 22 to October 12 in 2026. There are two types: Bear Lake Corridor entry permits are required between 5 a.m. and 6 p.m., while “rest of the park” entry permits are required from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. All are issued to enter the park during a specific two-hour window. Reservations are valid for one day.

Cost: $2 processing fee (does not include park entry fee)

Release dates: The park releases a block of early-season reservations (May 22 to June 30) on May 1, July reservations on June 1, August reservations on July 1, September reservations on August 1, and October reservations on September 1, all at 8 a.m. Mountain Time. Additional reservations go on sale at 7 p.m. the day before your intended visit. Reserve at Recreation.gov.

Good to know: Visitors with reservations at a park campground or outfitter, or with backcountry camping permits, do not need an entry permit.

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Top tips to avoid crowds at popular national parks

As you might expect, summer weekends and holidays tend to be the busiest times to visit the national parks. Weekdays offer a bit more breathing room.

Shoulder seasons (spring and fall in the mountains, winter in the desert) can be excellent times to explore with a fraction of the crowds. Just be prepared for the weather and expect some park attractions or roads may be closed.

To avoid long entry lines, or to beat capacity-related temporary closures, arrive early or late. Bonus: The best wildlife-watching happens at dawn and dusk.

Stay overnight in a park hotel or campground, if you can. Things will quiet down considerably when the day visitors go home.

Go for a long hike. The farther you walk, the fewer other people you’ll see.

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