Planning a national park visit in 2025? Reservations will be essential at many parks to manage crowds and ensure a smooth experience.
Montana: If you’re thinking about hitting up a national park in 2025, you better plan ahead. Many parks are bringing back timed reservations to keep things manageable. This is especially true for those popular spots that everyone loves to post about on Instagram. Some parks will limit how many cars can enter, while others will control the number of visitors at certain attractions.
You can snag your reservations through recreation.gov, and there’s even a handy mobile app. The National Park Service suggests booking early to avoid any last-minute stress. Here’s a quick rundown of what you’ll need for some of the most visited parks.
For Glacier National Park in Montana, vehicle reservations will open on February 12. You’ll need a reservation for the west side of Going-to-the-Sun Road from June 13 to September 28, 2025, between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. If you miss your time slot, no worries—you can still enter after 3 p.m. Just keep in mind there’s a $2 processing fee.
Over in Utah, Arches National Park will start requiring timed entry per vehicle on April 1, 2025. Reservations are already open, and the entry times will be from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., except for a few weeks in the summer. Park Superintendent Len Pace mentioned that visitors loved the reduced congestion during previous trials. Again, there’s a $2 fee.
In California, Yosemite National Park will require reservations on weekends starting February 8, 2025. The fee is $35 per car, valid for seven days. They haven’t shared summer reservation plans yet, so keep an eye out.
Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado will kick off timed entry on May 23, 2025. You’ll have two options for permits, one for the Bear Lake Road Corridor and another for the rest of the park. Reservations will be needed during specific hours, and there’s a $2 processing fee.
Zion National Park, also in Utah, will use a lottery system for hiking reservations at Angels Landing. You can apply for a $6 seasonal permit, which covers up to six people. If you win, you’ll get an email with your time slot.
Lastly, Haleakala National Park in Maui requires reservations for vehicles entering from 3 a.m. to 7 a.m. You can book as early as 60 days in advance or as late as two days before your visit, with a $1 fee per vehicle.
For a complete list of parks that will need reservations, check out the official site.
