This Saturday, Earth Day, and events taking place throughout the whole park system will all be free to enter as part of National Park Week, which runs through April 30.
The following free admission day is not until Great American Outdoors Day on August 4. Visitors should make other considerations when making plans this summer, besides fees.
Reservations are required for high-demand locations like Angels Landing at Zion and Glacier’s Going-to-the-Sun Road in several of America’s most popular national parks. Additionally, a few booking windows are already open.
What you need to know about national parks’ timed entrance policies for the summer of 2023 is as follows:
Test your knowledge of America’s national parks.
Do US national parks require reservations?
Only a small number of the 63 national parks in America require reservations for admission, usually during the busiest summer months. However, many parks demand reservations or licences for specialised activities like camping or rock climbing.
The website for each park has information. You can make reservations on recreation.gov.
Summer 2023: Which national parks demand timed entry?
Reservations are required in addition to entrance costs, which max out at $20 per person or $35 per car, for the following national parks:
From May 24 to October 22, Cadillac Summit Road timed entry vehicle reservations are necessary at Acadia National Park in Maine. They are $6 each for a vehicle.
Timed entrance vehicle reservations are necessary through October 31 in Utah’s Arches National Park. Per car, they cost $2.
From 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. this summer, timed entry vehicle reservations are necessary to access Glacier National Park’s Going-to-the-Sun Road, the North Fork, Many Glacier, and Two Medicine. Depending on the location, dates can start as early as May 26 and go through September 10. $2 per vehicle is the reservation charge.
Reservations are necessary year-round to see the dawn from the top in Haleakal National Park in Hawaii. Reservations for the summit sunrise cost $1 per vehicle.
Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado: From May 26 through October 22, timed entry park access permits are necessary to enter the park between the hours of 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Depending on the type of permit chosen, they may or may not grant access to the Bear Lake Road Corridor and cost $2 per car.
Day-use tickets are necessary to access Old Rag Mountain at Shenandoah National Park in Virginia through November 30. Each ticket is one dollar.
As part of a pilot programme, permits are needed to trek Angels Landing year-round at Zion National Park in Utah. There are daily lotteries available, however the seasonal lottery for summer permits expired on April 20. Up to six persons can enter the lottery for $6 each. The additional permission price for winners is $3 per person.
Do you currently require reservations to visit Yosemite?
No, reservations are not necessary now and will not be necessary this summer to enter Yosemite National Park.
Due of the pandemic, reservations for entry were necessary over the summers of 2020 and 2021. They were necessary both during the popular firefall show at Horsetail Fall in February and several weekends last summer when a number of attractions had to be shuttered for renovations.
What other locations are booked?
Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C.: Although reservations are not necessary, it is highly advised to buy tickets in advance because this historic location only has a few number of free entrance tickets available at its box office. Fords.org sells advance tickets starting at $3.50.
From March through December, timed-entry tickets are necessary from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Independence Hall in Pennsylvania. There is a $1 reservation cost per ticket, but admission is free.
Reservations for automobiles and shuttles are necessary year-round and can be made at gomuirwoods.com. Muir Woods National Monument is located in California. Parking passes for regular cars cost $9. Visitors must pay $3.50 per person 16 and older to use the shuttle service from nearby Mill Valley.
Reservations aren’t necessary, like they were during the pandemic, but it’s still a good idea because same-day walk-up tickets often sell out quickly at the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C. There is a $1 service charge for each online reservation, but tickets are free.
