Those planning to visit a US National Park this summer should be aware of several parks that are now requiring reservations of some kind for 2023.
All 63 national parks are open, as of this point, but there are seven that are requiring reservations for certain periods in 2023.
They are Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, Haleakalā National Park in Hawai‘i, Acadia National Park in Maine, Glacier National Park in Montana, Arches National Park in Utah, Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, and Olympic National Park in Washington (new for 2023).
The reservations are intended to manage some of the immense crowds that flocked to National Parks post-COVID leading to long lines, traffic, messy campsites, and crowded trails. It’s best to check the National Park’s website before making any travel arrangements to be aware of important information including new reservation requirements.
But there are also many parks that currently don’t require reservations like The Grand Canyon, Great Smoky Mountains, and Yosemite National Park which was previously on the reservations list.
All images from Arches National Park, photo credits NPS and Neal Herbert
