Do you need reservations to enter national parks? These parks require them in 2025
National park trips require planning. Period.
But some of America's most popular parks also require reservations, particularly during their busy season: summer.
Most requirements are similar to last year, with a few exceptions.
It's not yet clear whether Mount Rainier National Park, in Washington, will bring back the timed-entry system it piloted last summer. 'No decisions have been,' according to Recreation.gov, the central trip planning and reservation site for more than a dozen federal agencies, including the National Park Service.
Yosemite National Park, in California, also required vehicle reservations last summer but has not yet revealed plans for this year. The park's website says details are expected 'in the near future.'
Here are the national parks definitely requiring reservations in 2025.
Where: Maine
What: Vehicle reservations are required to drive along Cadillac Summit Road during its busiest time of year.
When: May 21 – Oct. 26
How to get them: Reservations are only available on Recreation.gov. Less than a third of them are released 90 days in advance. The bulk of reservations are released two days before intended visits. Visitors should note there are two types of vehicle reservations. Sunrise reservations have a 90-minute entry window, while daytime reservations have a 30-minute entry window.
Cost: $6 per vehicle. A separate park entrance fee or valid park pass is also required.
Visiting a national park after layoffs? What to know before you go
Where: Utah
What: Time-entry tickets are required for all vehicles entering Arches between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m.
When: April 1 - July 6, Aug 28 - Oct. 31
How to get them: Many reservations are already available on Recreation.gov. October reservations will be released on May 1. Additional tickets become available at 7 p.m. nightly for next-day visits.
Cost: $2 per vehicle. A separate park entrance fee or valid park pass is also required.
Exceptions: The park says timed-entry tickets are not required for visitors "with camping, backcountry, Fiery Furnace, or special use permits; nor those with concessions contracts, commercial use authorizations, or academic fee waivers; nor people from associated Tribal Nations.'
Where: Montana
What: Timed-entry reservations are required for vehicles entering Going-to-the-Sun Road from the west or North Fork from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
When: June 13 - Sept. 28
How to get them: Reservations are released 120 days in advance on Recreation.gov. Additional tickets become available at 7 p.m. nightly for next-day visits.
Cost: $2 per vehicle. A separate park entrance fee or valid park pass is also required.
Exceptions: "Visitors with lodging, camping, or commercial activity reservations (e.g., boat tours and horseback rides) within the specified reservation areas can use proof of their reservation for entry instead of a vehicle reservation,' according to the park.
Where: Hawaii
What: Reservations are required for every vehicle entering the park for sunrise between 3 a.m. and 7 a.m.
When: Year-round
How to get them: Summit-sunrise reservations are released 60 days in advance on Recreation.gov. Additional reservations are released two days ahead of intended visits.
Cost: $1 per vehicle. A separate park entrance fee or valid park pass is also required.
Where: Colorado
What: Timed-entry reservations are needed to access Rocky Mountain Park during the busiest times of its most popular season. There are two different types to choose from: Timed Entry (which covers most of the park) and Timed Entry + Bear Lake Road (which covers the entire park including Bear Lake Road).
When: Timed Entry reservations are required from 9 a.m.- 2 p.m between May 23 - Oct. 13 to access everything but Bear Lake Road. Visitors who also want to access Bear Lake Road will instead need Timed Entry + Bear Lake Road reservations, which are required from 5 a.m.- 6 p.m. between May 23 - Oct. 19.
How to get them: Both types of reservations will be available on Recreation.gov. The first batch will be released on May 1 for visits through June. July reservations will be released on June 1. August reservations will be released on July 1 and so on. Additional reservations will become available at 7 p.m. nightly for next-day visits.
Cost: $2 per vehicle. A separate park entrance fee or valid park pass is also required.
Where: Virginia
What: Day-use tickets are required to hike Old Rag Mountain most of the year.
When: March 1– Nov. 30
How to get them: Tickets are available on Recreation.gov. Half of them are released 30 days in advance of intended visits. The other half are released 5 days in advance.
Cost: $2 per person. A park entrance fee or valid park pass is also required.
Where: Utah
What: Permits are required to hike Angels Landing all year long.
When: Year-round
How to get them: Permits are available by seasonal lottery or day-before lottery on Recreation.gov. This year's spring and summer lotteries have already closed, but hopeful hikers can still enter a different lottery the day before their intended hike. Registration for the fall lottery opens on July 1.
Cost: $6 non-refundable lottery fee for up to 6 people plus a $3 permit fee per person. A separate park entrance fee or valid park pass is also required.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: See which national parks require reservations
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No reservations are needed to enter the park, and entrance passes are $20 per vehicle during the low season (Oct. 23–April 30) and $30 during the high season (May 1–Oct. 22). Passes are good for seven days. If you want to walk inside one of the park's renowned cliff dwellings, you must book a tour up to 14 days in advance. Cliff dwelling tours run from May to October, ending in the winter. The park is still open in the colder months, but many of the facilities close, including the lodge, campground, and most dining options. It is worth noting that all of the park's historic sites and cliff dwellings are at least 45 minutes by car (one way) from the park's entrance on Highway 160. Brian Bartlett, the tourism director and CEO of Mesa Verde Country, advises travelers to 'gas up before you come as there is almost no fuel to be purchased in the park.' The park is also completely cashless, so bring a card. And finally, Mesa Verde National Park is different from most because it contains so much human history. The ancestral sites are extremely important to the park's 26 affiliated tribes and are also very fragile. "Two easy ways you can visit with respect is to not touch or sit on ancestral site walls and to leave any artifact where you find it," Dorrell said. The Mesa Top Loop Road Ruins contains some of the most elaborate Pueblo dwellings found today. Christian Kober/robertharding/Getty Images The park is between the Colorado towns of Cortez and Mancos, near the Four Corners region, where Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, and Colorado meet. It shares some land with the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe reservation. The nearest airports to Mesa Verde National Park are Cortez Municipal Airport (CEZ), about 36 miles away, Durango-La Plata County Airport (DRO), about 70 miles away, and Four Corners Regional Airport (FMN) in Farmington, New Mexico, 89 miles away. If you're flying in, you'll need to rent a car, as there's no way to get to or around the park by public transportation. It's a 45-minute drive from the park entrance off of Highway 160 to the first view of a cliff dwelling. The best time to visit Mesa Verde National Park is in late spring and early fall, when the cliff dwellings are still open, but the peak travel season of summer hasn't quite begun yet. The popular, ranger-led cliff dwelling tours begin in May and end in mid to late October. 'I really enjoy September and October in the park," said Dorrell. "It's cooler, there are still tours occurring in parts of the park, and some days are slower. If you do visit during that time, be sure to check the weather. Some years we can start getting snow that early." However, there's a reason why summer is a popular time to visit: the weather is more reliable around this time of year, and the park is usually fully open. Plus, summer comes with wildflowers and chances to spot wildlife, including bears and bobcats. Winter isn't a bad time to visit, either, and you can see sites like Spruce Tree House covered in snow, or you could even cross-country ski or snowshoe the park's winter trails. However, keep in mind that many of the park's facilities close in the colder months. In addition to its national park website, you can follow Mesa Verde's Facebook page, where delayed openings and temporary park closures are posted. Cliff Palace in Mesa Verde National Park is the the largest cliff dwelling in North America. Daniel A. Leifheit/Getty Images Cliff Palace was once home to over 100 people and is the largest known cliff dwelling in North America. It is believed to have been built between 1190 and 1280 C.E. and has 23 kivas, or ceremonial rooms. You can see the Cliff Palace from the Cliff Palace Overlook on Cliff Palace Loop Road, but if you want to step inside this massive structure, you must book a ranger-guided tour. Tours are limited to 50 people and take 45 minutes. Tourists exploring the Balcony House ruin, an Ancient Puebloan (Anasazi) cliff dwelling that was inhabited until the 13th century. wanderluster/Getty Images If you're physically fit and enjoy a bit of a challenge, reserve a tour of Balcony House, where Dorrell said visitors must 'climb a 32-foot ladder, climb two smaller ladders, and crawl through a 12-foot tunnel.' But the effort is all worth it. The path leads to a mid-sized village of 38 rooms set inside a rock alcove. Like the Cliff Palace, the Balcony House can be viewed from the six-mile-long Cliff Palace Loop Road. Those who want to set foot in the village must book a guided tour. 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There's usually a ranger on-site to answer questions. The Mesa Verde Cliff Dwellings lit by lantern light sit under a star filled sky. BradWhile most people come to the park to see how early humans lived, the park becomes a stargazing destination at night. Due to its high elevation, arid climate, and distance from the nearest community, the skies above Mesa Verde tend to be clear and inky black—ideal conditions for stargazing. Mesa Verde National Park became the world's 100th International Dark Sky Park in 2021. Booking a campsite at Morefield Campground (open May through October) is a great way to see the night sky. And in late summer, the park runs evening stargazing programs. A guest room at the Far View Lodge within Colorado's Mesa Verde National Park. Morefield is the only campground in the park and is open from May to October. But if you time a visit just right, you can enjoy a night in one of the 267 campsites that dot the grassy canyon near the park's entrance. Each site has a picnic table, fire pit, and barbecue grill. RVs and trailers are permitted. There's also a camp store as well as showers and laundry. The only traditional accommodations within the park are at Far View Lodge, typically open from April to October. The lodge is in the center of the park, around 30 minutes from the park entrance. The rooms in Far View Lodge have private balconies, Wi-Fi, and free guest parking. Pets are allowed, and there are ADA accessible rooms. The property also has a lounge and bar, and a dining room. Mesa Verde Motel is in Mancos, one of the park's neighboring towns. The motel provides just the basics, but it's modern and clean with a hip Americana feel. The property has a community fire pit and an onsite coffee shop and cocktail lounge. Bartlett describes the motel 'is not to be missed.' This little gem in Cortez describes itself as "a little different than the norm"—and it's easy to see why. The Retro Inn has a host of eccentrically decorated rooms—including the hippy-dippy Woodstock Suite—and a range of interesting amenities, including lawn bowling, nostalgic board games, and old-school video games. As an added bonus, there's an outdoor theater with swings and a fire pit. For in-park fine dining, head to the Metate Room in Far View Lodge. The menu highlights regional heritage foods, including wild game, local produce, and fresh fish. Above the lodge, the aptly named Far View Lounge has views that stretch for hundreds of miles and it's a great place to get a pre or post-dinner drink. 'While in the park one must dine at the incredible Metate Room, enjoy a cocktail at the Far View Lounge, and enjoy our incredible dark skies firsthand," Bartlett said. Another favorite of Bartlett's is Cortez's Loungin' Lizard, located on Main Street. 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