🎟️ US park reservations 2026: time slots, permits and how to get them

Arrive at a park and not get in? That can happen now.

In 2026, eight US national parks and one monument require reservations. It could be a timed entry slot, a vehicle reservation for a specific road, or a permit for a popular trail. Without a reservation, you may not get into the park, onto the road, or onto the trail you want. Below is a breakdown for each park: reservation type, opening date, fee, and where to book. All figures were checked against the National Park Service (NPS) website and recreation.gov as of September 2026.

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US park reservations: what you need to know for 2026

💡 In short:

Determine the reservation type for your park: timed entry slot, vehicle reservation, or trail permit.
Find out when reservations open: some parks have a 30-90 day window, others open booking only 2 days ahead.
Book on recreation.gov as soon as the window opens. Popular slots go in minutes.
In 2026, timed entry was eliminated at four parks: Arches, Glacier, Mount Rainier, and Yosemite.
Dates, fees, and booking windows: 09/2026, verified on the NPS website.

US park visitation has been growing for more than a decade. The system record came in 2024: about 332 million visits (according to NPS). This is not a pandemic effect. Parks were popular before 2020 too.

The most famous parks saw an even bigger surge after 2020. That means lines at entrances, traffic jams on roads, and overflowing parking lots. The parks' answer is the same everywhere: entry by reservation. Every year, one or two parks are added to the list.

But in 2026, the pendulum swung back. Timed entry was eliminated at four places at once: Arches, Glacier, Mount Rainier, and Yosemite (according to NPS). Glacier is introducing shuttle reservations instead of vehicle reservations. See below for exactly what changed.

Which parks require reservations in 2026

As of September 2026, eight national parks and one monument require reservations. The reservation type varies. Some use timed entry slots, some vehicle reservations, some trail permits.

List of places that require reservations:

Acadia: vehicle reservation (Cadillac Summit Road)
Carlsbad Caverns: timed entry slot
Glacier: shuttle reservation (new in 2026)
Haleakalā: sunrise vehicle reservation
Rocky Mountain: timed entry slot
Shenandoah: Old Rag trail permit
Yosemite: Half Dome permit
Zion: permits for Angels Landing, the Subway, and the Narrows
Muir Woods: parking reservation

Below we break down each park: dates, fees, booking windows, and what's available without a reservation. Start with the park you're visiting and go to the details. You can skip the other sections.

What types of reservations exist

The word "reservation" covers three different things. The type determines exactly what you're reserving and what remains available without booking.

Timed Entry: you enter the park during a specific window, for example from 6:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The slot gives access to the whole park or part of it, depending on the park. That's how Rocky Mountain works.

Vehicle Reservation: the park is open freely, but one scenic road requires a separate reservation. Example: Cadillac Summit Road in Acadia.

Hiking Permit: park entry is open, but a popular trail only allows access with a permit. The classic case: Angels Landing in Zion.

Showing your pass and paying right at the gate is no longer always possible. Major parks, like restaurants and museums, have moved to advance reservations. This is here to stay. Plan your reservation ahead and your trip will go smoothly.

Important: this guide is not about campgrounds and lodges. It only covers reservations required to enter a park, drive a road, or hike a trail. Overnight stays at NPS campgrounds or lodges are booked separately on each park's official website.

Yosemite

Acadia: Cadillac Summit Road vehicle reservation

Acadia National Park in Maine protects a rocky stretch of the Atlantic coast. Granite cliffs, tidal lagoons, and the tallest mountain on the US Atlantic coast are packed into a small area. You come here for the views and sunrises, not for solitude.

Panorama of the bay with islands from the summit of Cadillac Mountain

In 2025, Acadia drew about 4.1 million visitors (according to NPS), the eighth most in the country. It gets crowded, especially at sunrise near the summit.

What to see: drive Park Loop Road, catch sunrise on Cadillac Mountain, hike the Precipice Trail, stop by Sand Beach and Echo Lake, bike the carriage roads, and watch the sunset at Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse.

Acadia

In fall, the park changes colors: maples and oaks along the carriage roads turn red and gold. That's a separate reason to come in October, though crowds are plentiful that season too.

Acadia in October

Vehicle reservation for Cadillac Summit Road

From May through October, access to Cadillac Summit Road is by reservation only. The road leads to the park's highest point, one of the most popular sunrise spots. You can't just drive up; you need to reserve in advance.

2026 dates: May 20 through October 25 (as of 09/2026, NPS)
Fee: $6 per vehicle on top of the park entrance fee (as of 09/2026, NPS fees)
Where to book: online only at recreation.gov

There are two types of reservations: sunrise and daytime. Sunrise slots are timed so you enter and park before sunrise. They sell out first, so book as soon as you know your travel dates.

Daytime slots are distributed by the hour. You pick a visit time, such as 10:00 or 15:00, and must enter the road within 30 minutes of your slot. 30% of reservations open 90 days in advance, the remaining 70% open 2 days in advance at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time (as of 09/2026, NPS reservation page).

The rest of Acadia is accessible without a reservation. The permit is required only for this road; you can drive through the rest of the park freely.

The catch: sunrise slots sell out the fastest, and the reservation fee does not replace the park entrance fee. Plan for both.

Carlsbad Caverns: a time slot into the underground world

Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico is an underground world of limestone chambers, stalactites, and long winding tunnels. There are hundreds of whimsical formations here: stone "curtains," "totem poles," and thin "soda straws." Take your time on the descent, the chambers are enormous.

What to see: walk through the cavern chambers, catch the evening bat flight from the natural entrance, stroll along the surface trail, look at the starry sky, drive Walnut Canyon Desert Drive.

Inside Carlsbad Caverns

There are two ways to get down: on foot through the natural entrance or by elevator. The walking descent is longer, but it is the one that lets you feel the scale of the cavern.

The natural entrance to Carlsbad Caverns

Time slot for entry

Carlsbad Caverns allows entry only with a time slot, and it is required year-round. The only exceptions are days when the park is closed: Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. The reservation costs $1 per person and is in addition to the park entrance fee (as of 09/2026, NPS). Children under 15 enter free, but they still need a slot.

Book as soon as the slot opens. In high season, reservations sell out quickly, and leaving it to the last day is risky. You can book on recreation.gov; details are on the park page.

In summer, the evening bat flight takes place at the natural entrance, a separate spectacle before sunset. Check the park website for exact season dates and times, as they depend on weather and migration. The cavern itself is cool year-round, so bring a sweater even when it is hot outside. After the descent, there is an underground rest area, and up top there is a short trail and overlooks. Allow a couple of hours for the main chamber; there is no reason to rush here.

The catch: the park entrance fee is paid separately from the reservation; check the current amount on the park website before your trip.

Glacier: the new shuttle on Going-to-the-Sun Road

Glacier-capped peaks, turquoise lakes, and some of the best trails in the country. That is why Glacier (Glacier National Park) in Montana is called the "crown of the continent." The park's main artery is Going-to-the-Sun Road, one of the most beautiful roads in the US. And it is exactly what draws the crowds.

View from inside a car of a mountain road

What to see: drive Going-to-the-Sun Road, get to Many Glacier, hike up to Grinnell Glacier and Hidden Lake, stop at Logan Pass, walk the Highline Trail, see Wild Goose Island, and spend time at Lake McDonald.

Trail through a burned forest in Glacier National Park, Montana

Glacier, the trail to Grinnell Glacier

Many people come here for Many Glacier and Two Medicine, the quiet sectors on the east side of the park. The roads here are narrow, the season is short, and some passes open only by July.

Hidden Lake

What is happening with reservations in 2026

The good news: in 2026 you do not need a vehicle reservation for Glacier (as of 09/2026, NPS). But the park service warns that when parking lots and roads fill up, vehicle access may be temporarily closed. The takeaway is simple: arrive early.

Shuttle reservation to Logan Pass

Instead of vehicle reservations, the park is launching a shuttle system, a new thing for 2026. The shuttle to Logan Pass runs from July 1 through September 7, and tickets are available only on recreation.gov (as of 09/2026, NPS).

Starting July 1, 2026, parking at Logan Pass is limited to three hours. For those hiking the Highline Trail, an express shuttle runs from the west and east sides of the park. You have to buy the ticket online in advance; it is not sold on the shuttle itself.

Some tickets are released 60 days ahead, starting May 2, 2026 at 8:00 a.m. Mountain Time, on a rolling basis (as of 09/2026, NPS shuttle page). The ticket itself is free; you only pay a service fee of about 1 dollar.

The season in Glacier is short. Going-to-the-Sun Road usually opens fully only by late June or early July, once road crews clear the snow on the pass. Before that, only the lower sections of the road are accessible from both sides. Check its status on the park website before heading out; mountain weather changes fast.

The catch: without a parking spot or a shuttle ticket, getting up to Logan Pass in the middle of the day becomes a lottery. Take an early slot.

Haleakala: sunrise above the clouds by reservation

Haleakala (Haleakala National Park) is a massive volcano that covers most of the island of Maui. Almost everyone wants to catch the sunrise above the clouds here. Demand is so high that driving up to the summit before sunrise is now by reservation only.

Silhouette of a hiker on the rim of a crater above the clouds at sunrise

What to see: sunrise above the clouds, the Sliding Sands trail, summit overlooks, the Pīpīwai trail, the Seven Sacred Pools at ‘Ohe’o, and the star-filled night sky.

Sunrise at Haleakala

Sunrise reservation

To drive up to the summit before sunrise, you need a reservation. It allows park entry from 3:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. (as of 09/2026, NPS). Without it, you can enter the park only after 7:00 a.m., and from the gate to the summit it is still about a 30-minute drive.

Reservations open in advance, and then a second batch is added shortly before the date. The ticket itself is free; the reservation fee is about 1 dollar per vehicle (as of 09/2026, NPS sunrise page). You can only book online on recreation.gov; reservations are not given by phone or at the visitor center.

Didn't get a slot? You have two options. Come for sunset, it's just as spectacular and requires no reservation. Or book a guided sunrise hike on GetYourGuide: those tours already include sunrise entry.

It's cold at the summit even in summer, the elevation is over three kilometers, so bring warm clothes and water. After sunrise, it's worth hiking part of the Sliding Sands trail to see the crater up close. The sky here is among the darkest in the country, so people come here in the evenings to stargaze. The southern Kipahulu section with the Pīpīwai Trail and the 'Ohe'o pools lies separate from the summit, and the drive there is long and winding, so plan it as its own day.

The catch: sunrise slots sell out in minutes, and you'll have to get up in the middle of the night for the sunrise. Sunset is easier and almost as beautiful.

Rocky Mountain: timed entry in high season

Rocky Mountain National Park is one of the highest-elevation parks in the US. It has dozens of peaks over 3,000 meters, many above 3,600 meters (according to NPS). The main draws here are the trails and Trail Ridge Road.

In 2025, the park welcomed about 4.2 million visitors (according to NPS statistics), sixth in the country. Summer crowds are especially heavy.

What to see: drive Trail Ridge Road, hike to Emerald Lake and Dream Lake, drive Old Fall River Road, climb to Sky Pond or Chasm Lake, stroll around Bear Lake.

High alpine peaks and trails of Rocky Mountain

Trail to Dream Lake, Rocky Mountain

On the trail to Chasm Lake

Timed entry in high season

From May 22 through mid-October 2026, you need a timed entry permit to enter (as of 09/2026, NPS). This is how the park manages crowds at peak times. The Bear Lake Road corridor operates on a reservation system longer than the rest of the park, until about October 18.

Reservations are made on recreation.gov. The service fee is about $2 per reservation, and the park entrance fee is paid separately (as of 09/2026, NPS fees). There are two types of permits.

Timed Entry + Bear Lake Road: access to the entire park, including Bear Lake Road and the trails from there (Bear Lake, Emerald and Dream Lakes, Alberta Falls, Sky Pond, Sprague Lake). The permit is valid from 5:00 AM to 6:00 PM (as of 09/2026, NPS permits page).

Timed Entry without Bear Lake Road: access to the entire park except Bear Lake Road. You can drive Trail Ridge Road, stop at the Alpine Visitor Center, and hike to Longs Peak, Chasm Lake, and Gem Lake.

Permits are released about a month in advance. On May 1 at 8:00 AM Mountain Time, dates from May 22 through June 30 open up; on June 1, July opens, and so on. Another batch is released at 7:00 PM the day before your visit.

Sky Pond, Rocky Mountain

The catch: the Bear Lake Road corridor with the main trails sells out fastest. Get the permit that includes Bear Lake Road if you're coming for the lakes.

Shenandoah: Old Rag day-use permit

Shenandoah National Park preserves a section of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia. The park's main road is Skyline Drive, winding roughly 169 km from north to south. Beyond it, the park offers about 800 km of trails (according to NPS).

Old Rag Mountain in haze over an autumn field

The park's most popular trail, Old Rag, now requires a permit. This is how the park service relieves pressure on the route during peak months.

What to see: drive Skyline Drive with its overlooks, climb Bearfence Mountain, hike Old Rag, walk to Dark Hollow Falls, catch the view from Hawksbill Mountain and Mary's Rock, hike a section of the Appalachian Trail.

Forested ridges of Shenandoah in light haze

View from Old Rag

Shenandoah in October

Old Rag permit

From March 1 through November 30, you need a day-use permit to hike Old Rag (as of 09/2026, NPS). This is how they limit the number of people on this very popular trail.

The ticket costs 2 dollars, and you can buy it in advance on recreation.gov. Tickets are not sold at the trailhead, and everyone needs one, regardless of age. There are 800 tickets available per day: 400 are released 30 days in advance, and another 400 five days before the date (as of 09/2026, NPS permit page).

The rest of Shenandoah is accessible without a reservation. Skyline Drive, overlooks, and most trails are open freely.

Fall is the best season in Shenandoah: the slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains turn red and gold, and overlooks line Skyline Drive. But traffic is also heavy during these weeks. If you are going for Old Rag, start at dawn: the route is long, and the parking lot is usually full by the afternoon.

The catch: the permit does not guarantee a parking spot at the trailhead. Old Rag is a long route with rocky sections, so arrive early and pace yourself.

Yosemite: Half Dome permit, timed entry canceled

Yosemite National Park is one of the most recognizable landscapes in the US. Half Dome, El Capitan, and Yosemite Valley appear on most postcards about the country's national parks.

Hiker on the edge of the granite dome Half Dome above the valley

The park is also one of the most visited: about 4.3 million people in 2025 (according to the NPS visitation report), fifth in the country.

What to see: Bridalveil Fall, the Mist Trail to Vernal and Nevada Falls, Tuolumne Meadows, the Half Dome hike, views from Glacier Point and Tunnel View, the Yosemite Falls Trail, Taft Point, Mariposa Grove.

The John Muir Trail in Yosemite

The view from Glacier Point

Timed entry canceled in 2026

The big news for 2026: Yosemite dropped timed entry reservations (as of 09/2026, NPS). Previously, reservations were required in February for the Horsetail Fall view and during the high season from May through August. In 2026, both rules were canceled, and traffic is managed through traffic and parking monitoring.

That means you no longer need to reserve entry in advance. The only thing you arrange ahead of time is the Half Dome hiking permit.

Horsetail Fall in February

Half Dome permit

Planning to hike Half Dome? You need a permit, and it is awarded through a lottery. From March 1 through March 31, submit an application on recreation.gov; winners are announced in April (as of 09/2026, NPS). There is also a small daily lottery a couple of days before the hike.

The hike goes up the famous cables on the final section. It is a hard, long day, and you should train for it in advance. Want to see the park without early starts and lotteries? Yosemite tours on GetYourGuide handle the logistics for you, and entry is open in 2026.

The cables on the Half Dome hike

The catch: not everyone wins the Half Dome permit, and the odds in the March lottery are limited. Keep a backup route in case you do not get one.

Zion: permits for Angels Landing, the Subway, and the Narrows

Zion National Park is one of the most popular parks in the country. In 2025, it welcomed about 5 million people (according to 2025 park statistics), second only to Great Smoky Mountains.

The Watchman peak in Zion under a cloudy sky

Currently, reservations are required only for three trails: Angels Landing, the Subway, and the top-down Narrows route. The rest of the park and the shuttle operate freely, with no registration.

What to see: Angels Landing, Observation Point, Hidden Canyon, Riverside Walk, Emerald Pools, Weeping Rock, Canyon Overlook. A separate experience is hiking the Narrows canyon right along the riverbed.

The Angels Landing trail

Angels Landing

Angels Landing requires a permit. In recent years, the trail broke visitation records, and lines formed at the chains. In response, the NPS introduced permits and limited the number of people on the route.

Permits are awarded through a lottery: a seasonal one and one the day before the hike. The application costs $6, and if you win, you pay another $3 per person (as of 09/2026, NPS). A permit is required year-round, and lotteries run in blocks of roughly three months.

On the Angels Landing trail

View from Angels Landing

The Subway and Narrows top-down

To hike the Subway (Left Fork), you need a lottery permit, which you arrange in advance (as of 09/2026, NPS). The route is technical, with some canyoneering elements.

The Narrows is another iconic trail. Most people hike bottom-up from Riverside Walk and turn back, which does not require a permit. The top-down route is about 26 km one way along the entire canyon, done in one long day or with an overnight stay. It requires a permit, and you book it in advance (as of 09/2026, NPS).

The Narrows canyon

Planning Zion trails? Some routes are easier to do with a guide, especially canyoneering. Zion tours and excursions on GetYourGuide will help you figure out where you need a permit and where you can go freely.

The Narrows canyon

The catch: not everyone wins the permits for Angels Landing and the Narrows top-down. If the lottery does not work out, you still have Riverside Walk and the lower part of the Narrows without a reservation.

Muir Woods: parking reservation at the redwoods

Muir Woods National Monument lies just north of San Francisco in California. The monument protects a grove of old coastal redwoods, and it is best to plan your arrival in advance.

To avoid overcrowding, you need a parking reservation. It is required year-round; you reserve a 30-minute arrival window (as of 09/2026, NPS). On weekends and holidays, spots go fast, so book ahead. Standard parking for vehicles up to 5 meters costs about 10 dollars (as of 09/2026, NPS parking rates).

Muir Woods

Inside the grove, there are boardwalks and trails of varying lengths, from a short half-hour loop to routes that take a couple of hours. There is almost no cell service here, so download a map in advance. It is best to arrive at opening time: mornings are cool, fog between the trunks adds atmosphere, and there are noticeably fewer people.

The catch: without a parking reservation, you simply cannot drive up to the redwoods, and nearby alternatives are few. Plan your arrival window in advance, especially on weekends.

Where reservations were dropped in 2026

Good news for those planning summer 2026. Several parks have returned to open entry.

Arches

In 2026, Arches National Park does not require timed entry slots (as of 09/2026, NPS). Arrive early in the morning or closer to evening: during the day, parking lots at the main arches are full, and entry may be temporarily held back.

Glacier

Starting in 2026, Glacier dropped vehicle reservations but launched a pilot shuttle reservation to reduce road and parking congestion (as of 09/2026, NPS announcement). Details are in the Glacier section above.

Mount Rainier

For several years, Mount Rainier National Park held summer timed-entry slots for the Paradise and Sunrise areas. In 2026, they were eliminated (as of 09/2026, NPS). But at peak times there are still plenty of cars, so arrive early.

Yosemite

Timed entry slots and the February reservation for Horsetail Fall were eliminated in 2026 (as of 09/2026, NPS announcement about Yosemite). Details are in the Yosemite section above.

How to get a reservation without the stress

First, note when reservations open for your parks. Some parks release slots as early as the beginning of the year, so start planning in January to avoid last-minute stress before your trip.

Didn't get a timed slot? Many parks still let you in early in the morning or late in the evening, before or after the reservation window. You don't need to cancel your trip, but you will need to set an earlier alarm.

Even with an early slot, build in a buffer. People who didn't get a slot often pile up at the entrance, and the first hours after opening can be busy. Arrive a little before your window starts.

Going on a tour, booked a campsite, or have a backcountry permit? You may not need a timed slot. Check the details on the park's website, this sometimes saves you an extra reservation.

And keep a backup plan handy. If you didn't win a trail permit, there is almost always an easier route that requires no reservation. It's convenient to gather options for several parks in one place.

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⁉️🤔 Frequently asked questions

Which parks require a timed entry reservation?

Rocky Mountain and Carlsbad Caverns require a timed entry reservation. Acadia and Haleakalā require a vehicle reservation for a specific road. Shenandoah, Zion, and Yosemite require trail permits. Glacier requires a shuttle ticket, and Muir Woods requires a parking reservation.

Do I need a reservation for Yellowstone?

No, Yellowstone does not require an entry reservation in 2026. Grand Canyon and Great Smoky Mountains also operate without one. Reservations in the park system are more of an exception for the busiest locations than a general rule.

How much does a reservation cost?

The reservation itself is almost always cheap: a service fee of about $1-2, and a lottery application for a trail is $6. But that's on top of the park entrance fee, which is paid separately. Check the current amounts on the specific park's website before your trip.

Where do I actually make reservations?

Almost all national park reservations are made on one website, recreation.gov. Slots are usually not available by phone or at the visitor center. Create an account in advance so you don't lose precious minutes when booking opens.

What if I don't get a slot?

Don't cancel your trip. Many parks allow entry before or after the reservation window, early in the morning or in the evening. Popular trails almost always have a permit-free alternative, and a guided tour can cover part of the experience.

In short: what's worth booking

Reservations in US parks are no longer a formality, they're part of your trip planning. Make a list of parks, note the dates when booking opens, and keep recreation.gov handy. The earlier you book, the smoother your visit will be.

If you're going at sunrise (Haleakalā, Cadillac Summit Road): book the moment the window opens, slots go fastest there.
If your goal is a specific trail (Angels Landing, Half Dome, Old Rag): be ready for a lottery and have a backup route.
If you want less hassle: book a US national parks tour on GetYourGuide, logistics and entry are already included.

US national parks: where reservations are needed and how to get them in 2026