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National Park Week kicks off this weekend with free entry to every National Park Service site this Saturday, Earth Day, and events across the entire parks system through April 30.
The next free entry day isn’t until Aug. 4, Great American Outdoors Day. But fees aren’t the only thing visitors need to plan around this summer.
Several of America’s most popular national parks require reservations for entry and high-demand destinations like Angels Landing at Zion and Glacier’s Going-to-the-Sun Road. And some booking windows have already opened.
Here’s what to know about timed entry requirements at national parks for summer 2023:
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Are reservations required for US national parks?
Only a few of America’s 63 national parks require reservations for entry, mostly during the peak summer season. Many parks, however, require reservations or permits for activities like camping or climbing specific sites.
Details can be found on each park’s site. Reservations can be made on recreation.gov.
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Which national parks require timed entry summer 2023?
The following national parks require reservations in addition to entrance fees, which top out at $35 per vehicle or $20 per person:
- Acadia National Park in Maine: Timed entry vehicle reservations are required for Cadillac Summit Road from May 24 through Oct. 22. They cost $6 per vehicle.
- Arches National Park in Utah: Timed entry vehicle reservations are required through Oct. 31. They cost $2 per vehicle.
- Glacier National Park in Montana: Timed entry vehicle reservations are required to access Going-to-the-Sun Road, the North Fork, Many Glacier and Two Medicine from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. this summer. Dates vary by destination but begin as early as May 26 and end Sept. 10. The reservation fee is $2 per vehicle.
- Haleakalā National Park in Hawaii: Reservations are required year-round to view the sunrise from the summit. Summit sunrise reservations cost $1 per vehicle.
- Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado: Timed entry park access permits are required to enter the park between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. from May 26 through Oct. 22. They cost $2 per vehicle and depending on the type of permit selected, may or may not include access to Bear Lake Road Corridor.
- Shenandoah National Park in Virginia: Day-use tickets are required to access Old Rag Mountain through Nov. 30. Tickets cost $1 per person.
- Zion National Park in Utah: Permits are required to hike Angels Landing all year-round, as part of a pilot program. The seasonal lottery for summer permits closed on April 20, but daily lotteries are available. It costs $6 to enter the lottery for up to six people. Winners pay an additional $3 permit fee per person.
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Do you need reservations to go to Yosemite right now?
No. Reservations are not presently required to enter Yosemite National Park, nor will they be required this summer.
Entry reservations were required over Summer 2020 and Summer 2021 due to the pandemic. They were also required last summer, when a number of attractions were closed for needed repairs, and several weekends in February during the popular firefall spectacle at Horsetail Fall.
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What other sites have reservations?
- Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C.: Reservations aren’t required but advance tickets are strongly recommended for this historic site, which only offers a limited number of free entry tickets at its box office. Advance tickets start at $3.50 and are available at fords.org.
- Independence Hall in Pennsylvania: Timed-entry tickets are required from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. from March through December. Tickets are free, but there is a $1 reservation fee per ticket.
- Muir Woods National Monument in California: Reservations are required year-round for cars and shuttles and are available at gomuirwoods.com. Parking passes cost $9 for standard vehicles. Visitors who prefer to take a shuttle from nearby Mill Valley must pay $3.50 per person ages 16 and older.
- Washington Monument in Washington, D.C.: Reservations aren’t required like they were during the pandemic, but they’re still advisable since same-day walk-up tickets can go quickly. Tickets are free, but there is a $1 service fee for each reserved online.
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