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We take a look at the US national parks that require a reservation in 2025 along with when and how to secure your visit
Yellowstone National Park is a slice of quintessential America. A place where wild animals – bison, bears, elk and wolves – roam among wilder beauty and where hot springs and geysers evoke a primeval era. In some ways, Yellowstone is a slice of lost America; a stark contrast to the skyscrapers and spaghetti junctions that populate US cities.
We owe its preservation to the 42nd US Congress who established Yellowstone as a national park in 1872. It became the first national park in the country and only the second in the world after Bogd Khan Uul in Mongolia.
Yellowstone set the standard for the preservation of biodiversity and cultural history; a standard that has since been widely replicated around the globe.
In 2021, however, the park struggled with severe overcrowding as pandemic-weary Americans flocked to the nation’s outdoor spaces. Yellowstone received a staggering 4,860,537 recreation visits, up 28% from 2020, making it the busiest year on record. In fact, July 2021 was the busiest month in the park’s history and the first time visits exceeded one million in a single calendar month.
Other parks experienced similar overcrowding with reports of congested trails and overrun facilities. One park regularly closed its gates as early as 8am. Some days, it stayed closed for as long as five hours.
Yellowstone has experimented with pilot projects to control overcrowding: altering traffic, parking and visitor flow configurations, and adding staff to highly congested areas.
Other parks have taken stricter measures. This year, 10 national parks will implement a reservation system in some form to cut crowds and preserve the fragile landscapes, wildlife and ecosystems that the parks were created to protect.
Here, we list the US national parks that require a reservation in 2025 along with details of when, where and how to organise the permits.
1. Acadia National Park
Location: Maine
What: Timed-entry for cars on the Cadillac Summit Road
When: 21st May to 26th October 2025
More info: recreation.gov
Alexey Stiop/Shutterstock The view from Cadillac MountainAfter the launch of a successful pilot scheme in 2021, Acadia National Park has renewed its vehicle reservations for the popular Cadillac Summit Road. The highest point on the US eastern seaboard, Cadillac Mountain is a popular destination for visitors to Acadia, particularly sunrise hikers.
The National Park Service (NPS) will require vehicle reservations for Cadillac Summit Road from late May to late October. Passes will be available 90 days in advance on a rolling basis with some last-minute tickets available from two days before. Visitors have two types of tickets to choose from: sunrise or daytime.
2. Arches National Park
Location: Utah
What: Timed-entry for all visitors
When: 7am to 4pm, 1st April to 31st October 2025 (exception: 7th July to 27th August)
More info: recreation.gov
Adam Springer/Shutterstock Arches is one of the US national parks that require a reservation in 2025In 2021, Arches National Park hit the headlines when it was regularly forced to close its gates by 8am as car parks and trails hit their capacities. Some days, the gates stayed closed for five hours before reopening.
It was hardly surprising when, in 2023, the NPS introduced a site-wide timed-entry system for all visitors to Arches. This pilot program will continue in 2025 to help cut the long lines stretching from Moab towards the entrance gates.
There is a $2 reservation fee in addition to the park entrance fees (beginning at $15 per person). Reservations will be released three months in advance, on a rolling basis. Some next-day tickets will also be available from 31st March, released at 7pm MST each evening.
3. Glacier National Park
Location: Montana
What: Ticketed entry for day-use visitors of the west side of Going-to-the-Sun Road and North Fork
When: 7am to 3pm, 13th June to 28th September 2025
More info: recreation.gov
Martina Birnbaum/Shutterstock A view of Glacier National Park from the Going-to-the-Sun RoadIn spring 2021, Glacier National Park piloted a ticketing system for its renowned 50-mile Going-to-the-Sun Road, the scenic road traversing the park that is designed to blend into its mountain setting.
Unsurprisingly, the NPS renewed and expanded the system in 2022 and it will continue in 2025.
There is a $2 reservation fee in addition to the park entrance fees (beginning at $15 per person). Reservations will be released four months in advance, on a rolling basis from 12th February. Some next-day tickets will also be available from 12th June, released at 7pm MDT each evening.
4. Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Location: North Carolina and Tennessee
What: Parking tag for anyone planning to park inside the grounds for more than 15 minutes
When: Year-round
More info: recreation.gov
Jeff Morgan/Shutterstock The Great Smoky Mountains National ParkIn 2023, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park introduced a requirement for visitors to purchase a daily, weekly or annual parking tag if they wish to park inside the grounds for more than 15 minutes. No reservations are required for parking locations once the tag is bought and displayed.
Three tags are available for purchase for all vehicle types and sizes:
- Daily: $5
- Weekly: $15
- Annual: $40
Parking tags are sold at visitor centres and automated kiosks as well as online.
5. Haleakalā National Park
Location: Hawaii
What: Reservations for cars entering from 3am to 7am to catch the sunrise from Maui’s highest peak
When: Year-round
More info: recreation.gov
Elite_Progress/Shutterstock Sunrise from Mount HaleakalāIn 2017, to combat overtourism in the area, Haleakalā National Park introduced a reservation system and fee for sunrise viewing at the 3,055m (10,023ft) summit of Mount Haleakalā.
The fee is $1 and reservations are available up to 60 days in advance with a limited allocation of last-minute tickets available two days in advance.
6. Mount Rainier National Park
Location: Washington
What: Timed-entry system to Paradise Corridor and Sunrise Corridor
When: May to September 2025 (exact dates TBC)
More info: recreation.gov
D. Lillie Photography/Shutterstock Mount Rainier National ParkThe NPS hasn’t yet announced this year’s plans for a timed-entry reservation system at Mount Rainier National Park, but is expected to extend last year’s pilot.
In 2024, vehicles needed a reservation to access the park via Paradise Corridor and Sunrise Corridor from late May to early September. There was a $2 reservation fee in addition to the park entrance fees (beginning at $15 per person). Reservations were released in advance, on a rolling basis and some next-day tickets were available, released at 7pm PT each evening. Check the NPS website for the latest details.
7. Rocky Mountain National Park
Location: Colorado
What: Timed-entry system with either full park access or excluding Bear Lake Road Corridor
When: 23rd May to 20th October 2025
More info: recreation.gov
Hale Kell/Shutterstock Bear Lake in Rocky Mountain National ParkIn a similar fashion to previous years, Rocky Mountain National Park will require all vehicles to carry a special pass to enter the park. These passes will allow drivers to enter the park in two-hour windows to help ease crowding and stagger traffic.
There is a $2 reservation fee in addition to the park entrance fees (beginning at $15 per person). Reservations will be released one month in advance, on a rolling basis. The park will hold back 40% of timed-entry permits for next-day reservations, which can be booked from 22nd May on a rolling basis.
8. Shenandoah National Park
Location: Virginia
What: Day-hiking tickets for Old Rag Mountain
When: 1st March to 30th November 2025
More info: nps.gov
Zachary G Justus/Shutterstock The view from Old Rag MountainThe rocky summit of Old Rag Mountain and its surrounding trails are repeatedly named one of the best hikes in the US. It’s no wonder then that the popular hiking destination was forced to introduce a pilot project to help alleviate some of the stress placed on the trails. The system is set to continue in 2025.
All visitors to Old Rag Mountain will need to acquire an Old Rag Mountain day-use ticket in advance ($2) in addition to a park entrance pass (beginning at $15 per person). Half of the 800 daily tickets will be released 30 days before the reservation date with the remaining 400 tickets released five days before a given reservation date.
9. Yosemite National Park
Location: California
What: Day-use reservations for the Horsetail Fall event; peak-hours reservations during spring, summer and autumn
When: 8th to 23rd February; April to October 2025 (exact dates TBC)
More info: nps.gov
Nyker/Shutterstock Yosemite is reintroducing reservations for 2025Every February, Horsetail Falls in Yosemite National Park is illuminated by the setting sun. If conditions are right, it creates the illusion of a ‘firefall’ where the waterfall glows iridescent, giving the appearance of fire. Unsurprisingly, the event has become so popular that reservations are required for three weekends in February.
Gregory B Cuvelier/Shutterstock Horsetail Falls illuminated by the setting sunAfter dropping summertime entry permits for 2023, the park experienced significant bottlenecks. As such, Yosemite has modified and reimplemented its ‘Peak Hours Plus’ reservation system in spring, summer and autumn.
Reservations will be required on certain weekends from April to October 2025 (exact dates TBC). Check the NPS website for the latest details.
10. Zion National Park
Location: Utah
What: Permits to visit Angels Landing via ‘online lotteries’
When: Year-round
More info: recreation.gov
Calin Tatu/Shutterstock Angels Landing in Zion National Park, UtahAngels Landing, one of America’s most popular hikes, has long attracted throngs of people desperate to get that ‘classic’ photograph. As such, Zion National Park is one of the US national parks that require a reservation in 2025.
Throughout the year, all Angels Landing hikers will need to enter a permit lottery for the hike. A next-day permit lottery will also be available for last-minute hikers, opening at 12am and closing at 3pm on a daily rolling basis.
Winners will be emailed at 4pm if they have received a permit. It costs $6 to apply, plus another $3 per person once the permit is confirmed.
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Lead image: Adam Springer/Shutterstock
About the author
Atlas & Boots is an award-winning outdoor travel blog, founded by bestselling author Kia Abdullah and travel writer Peter Watson. They have been to over 100 countries and all seven continents.
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