peak season

Because of increased visitation to many popular US National Parks, advance entrance reservations are now required during peak visitation periods. These reservations must be purchased in advance at www.recreation.gov. They will not be available for purchase at the parks; and visitors who arrive without national park entrance reservations will be turned away. It’s a good idea to print or save a digital copy of your reservation on your phone, as cell service is not available at many national park entrance stations. A photo ID is also required, and it must match the name on the reservation.

Entrance reservations are not required if you have lodging, camping or tour reservations; however you must show confirmation of those reservations at the park entrance. Entrance reservations are required even if you have a national park pass. And if you don’t have a national park pass, you will still need to pay the entrance fee even if you have an entrance reservation. Questions about the entrance reservations can be directed to the specific national park you intend to visit.

Here’s what you need to know about the 2024 national park entrance reservations.

Mount Rainier National Park

Timed entry reservations are required for visits to the Paradise Corridor and the Sunrise Corridor of Mount Rainier National Park, between May 24, 2024 and September 2, 2024, from 7 AM to 3 PM.

The Paradise Corridor runs from the Nisqually Entrance near Ashford in the southwest area of the park, to the Stevens Canyon Entrance on State Route 123 near Ohanapecosh in the southeast corner of the park. Mount Rainier timed entry reservations are required for this area of the park between May 24, 2024 and September 2, 2024. They will be available beginning on February 21, 2024 at the following times.

Booking Window Opens	Arrival Dates
February 21, 2024	May 24 to June 30, 2024
April 1, 2024	July 1 to July 31, 2024
May 1, 2024	August 1 to September 2, 2024

The Sunrise Corridor is located in the northeast corner of the park. It can be accessed by the White River Entrance, which is located on State Route 410. It connects Enumclaw in the north to Yakima in the east. Mount Rainier timed entry reservations are required for this area of the park from July 3, 2024 to September 2, 2024. Timed entry reservations for this area of the park are available beginning on April 1, 2024 at the following times listed below.

Booking Window Opens	Arrival Dates
April 1, 2024	July 3 to July 31, 2024
May 1, 2024	August 1 to September 2, 2024

Reservations cost $2, and blocks will be released 90 days in advance. A limited number of timed entry reservations will also be available at 7:00 Pacific Time the day prior to the visit.

Yosemite National Park

National park entrance reservations are required for Yosemite National Park, for visits from April 13, 2024 to October 27, 2024. The 2024 Peak Hours Plus entrance reservation program differs a bit from those in past years, but the goal is the same — to preserve the park and increase enjoyment for visitors.

Entrance reservations will be required on weekends and holidays from April 13 through June 30, and from August 17 through October 27. The holidays that fall within the reservation period include Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Labor Day and Columbus Day. Entrance reservations will also be required daily from July 1 through August 16. These reservations are required for visitors who enter the park between 5 AM  and 4 PM (3 PM after September 21) . Reservations cost $2 each.

There are two types of entrance reservations. One is good all day, while the other is only good after noon. Both entrance reservations are valid for three days, and they do not need to be used on the first day.

The majority of Yosemite entrance reservations will be available on January 5, 2024 at 8 AM PST. The rest of the reservations will be available seven days before the arrival date at 8 AM. For example, a reservation for an arrival date of October 27 would become available at 8AM on October 20.

Reservations are required for most people who just want to pass through the park; however people with a local zip code can pass through without an entrance reservation. The only acceptable proof of residence for this purpose is a drivers license. No stopping is allowed on the pass through entry.

Yosemite entrance reservations are also required during peak viewing times for Horsetail Falls in February. Those entrance reservations are usually released in early December. (

Entrance reservations are not required at the Hetch Hetchy Entrance, which is open from sunrise to sunset. (www.emerginghorizons.com/yosemite-firefall-coming-in-february)

Arches National Park

An Arches Timed Entry Reservation will be required again in 2024. “We received many positive comments from people who enjoyed the guaranteed arrival time and reduced congestion they experienced during the 2023 vehicle reservation pilot,” said Arches National Park Acting Superintendent Brendan Bray. “A repeat pilot program in 2024 will help us learn more about how such systems can provide visitors with the opportunity for enjoyable experiences while protecting the extraordinary landscapes they come to see.”

Timed entry reservations are required for visitors who enter the park from April 1 to October 31, 2024, between 7 AM and 4 PM. Beginning at 8 AM MST on January 2, 2024, reservations will be released in monthly blocks on the first of each month. Reservations cost $2 each. The reservation blocks are listed below.

• April 1-30 reservations open January 2 at 8 AM MST
• May 1-31 reservations open February 1 at 8 AM MST
• June 1-30 reservations open on March 1 at 8 AM MST
• July 1-31 reservations open on April 1 at 8 AM MST
• August 1-31 reservations open on May 1 at 8 AM MST
• September 1-30 reservations open on June 1 at 8 AM MST
• October 1-31 reservations open on July 1 at 8 AM MST

A limited number of next-day tickets will be available after 7 PM MDT the day prior to the visit.

Reservations can be made in hourly increments and are only valid for entrance during that hour. Visitors who want to visit the park on two different days will need two different timed entry reservations. Once visitors enter the park, they can stay for the entire day. Ticket holders may also exit and re-enter the park on the same day with a correctly validated ticket.

Glacier National Park

As in previous years, advance vehicle reservations are required for the most congested areas of the park. The 2024 system requires vehicle entrance reservations for visitors traveling over the west side of Going-to-the-Sun Road and past the Many Glacier Entrance Station during the peak summer season. Vehicle entrance reservations are required for visits between 6 AM and 3 PM on the following 2024 dates.

• West Entrance and Camas Entrance – May 24 to September 8
• Many Glacier Valley – July 1 to September 8

Vehicle entrance reservations cost $2. A portion of the vehicle entrance reservations for the West Entrance, Camas Entrance and Many Glacier Valley will be available 120 days in advance beginning January 25, 2024 at 8 AM Mountain Standard Time. The remaining vehicle entrance reservations will be released at 7 PM, the day before the planned visit.

Although visitors with lodging or tour reservations do not need vehicle entrance reservations, it’s important to note that the lodging or tour reservation must be made for the specific area of the park you plan to visit. For example if you have a Lake McDonald boat tour reservation, you will be able to access Going-to-the-Sun Road, but not Many Glacier Valley.

Rocky Mountain National Park

Visitors to Rocky Mountain National Park are required to have a timed entry permit to enter the park beginning May 24, 2024. There are two Rocky Mountain Entry Permits.

The Bear Lake permit will allow entry to the Bear Lake Corridor, as well as the rest of the park. It will be valid from 5 AM to 6 PM. It is required until October 20, 2024.

The other permit will allow access to all areas of the park, except the Bear Lake Corridor. It will be valid from 9 AM to 2 PM. It is required until October 15, 2024. All permits will be timed, and will require the permit holder to enter the park within a 2 hour window.

Reservations for the majority of the permits will be released on 8 AM Mountain Time on the following dates.

• May 1, 2024 for permits from May 24 to June 30
• June 1, 2024 for permits for the month of July
• July 1, 2024 for permits for the month of August
• August 1, 2024 for permits for the month of September
• September 1, 2024 for permits for the month of October

The remaining entry permits will be available for purchase at 7 p.m. the day before the planned visit. Entry reservations cost $2, and if you plan to visit the park more than one day you will need an entry permit for each day.

Carlsbad Caverns

Last but not least on the list of national park entrance reservations is Carlsbad Caverns. Although technically you don’t need a reservation to get in to the park, you do need one if you actually want to see the famous caverns.

Every person — even children — needs a timed ticket to enter the caves. Tickets are good for entrance within the hour specified on the ticket. So for example, if you have a 9:00 AM ticket, it’s only good for entrance from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM. Late comers will not be admitted, so give yourself plenty of time to travel to the caverns and park.

These tickets are priced at $1 each, and like the park entrance reservations they are only available at www.recreation.gov. And again, make sure you print out your tickets or save a screen shot of them, as cell service is spotty in the park.

Plan ahead to avoid disappointment, and get your national park entrance reservations as soon as you make your travel plans.