Seasonal reservation requirements end at popular national parks

Eve Chen, USA TODAY
·2 min read

The long list of things to prepare before visiting America's national parks just got shorter.

With the summer travel crush over, seasonal reservation requirements have ended at some of the National Park Service's busiest parks.

Travelers no longer need reservations to enter Rocky Mountain National Park or drive up Acadia National Park's Cadillac Summit Road, though the road will close for the season on Nov. 14. Reservation requirements have also lifted at Arches National Park, Yosemite National Park and Glacier National Park, where they were needed for Going-to-the-Sun Road.

There are a few park sites that require other types of timed-entry reservations year-round. Here's what travelers should know:

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Ranger Marv Rutkowski welcomes visitors to Rocky Mountain National Park.
Ranger Marv Rutkowski welcomes visitors to Rocky Mountain National Park.

Do US national parks require reservations?

Only a few of the 423 sites within the National Park Service require reservations for entry, though many require reservations for activities like camping or boating

How do you make reservations at national parks?

Details are available on individual park websites, but most reservations are available at Recreation.gov.

Reservation fees are in addition to any entrance fees required by the parks.

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Which national parks require reservations?

  • Haleakalā National Park: Reservations are required year-round to view sunrise from the summit. Summit sunrise reservations cost $1 per vehicle.

  • Muir Woods National Monument: To reduce traffic and noise in Muir Woods' old-growth redwood grove, reservations are required year-round for cars and shuttles. Parking passes cost $9 for standard vehicles. Visitors who prefer to take a shuttle from nearby Mill Valley must pay $3.50 per person age 16 and up. Reservations are available at gomuirwoods.com.

  • Shenandoah National Park: To reduce congestion on Old Rag Mountain, the park is testing out a ticketing system for day hikers. Reservations cost $1 per person, with an 800-person cap each day.

  • Washington Monument: Reservation fees cost $1 per person.

  • Zion National Park: Permits are required to hike Angels Landing until at least next February. Hopeful hikers must pay $6 to apply for an online lottery and an additional $3 per person if they get a permit.

Does Yellowstone require reservations?

America's first national park does not require reservations for entry. However reservations are required for camping and lodging, and permits are required for certain activities, like fishing and horseback riding at Yellowstone.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: National parks end seasonal reservation requirements for entry