This post was originally written for Summer 2021 to help visitors to understand the systems in place for some of the most popular US National Parks.

We’re quickly headed for summer and our big travel plans and the US National Parks are getting ready for us. Big time.

What many are referring to last summer and this summer as the COVID Crush is creating quite a push on the NPS. Record numbers of visitors entered the parks last year and that number is expected to grow again this year. As a result, the big parks are adding restrictions and reservations.

Here is what you need to know if you are visiting any of these large parks starting in May 2021:

• Yosemite - just like last year, Yosemite will be requiring daily reservations for entry into the park. This includes day-use, wilderness, Half Dome, camping, lodging, and tour groups. Reservations begin on May 21 (the weekend before Memorial Day). You’ll be able to make your reservation starting on April 21 at 8:00 am on Recreation.gov. Each reservation is valid for three days. Yosemite will not be offering the option to enter outside of peak times without a reservation like some of the other parks, so you will need a reservation no matter what time you plan on entering the gates.

• Glacier - GNP threw around the idea of reservations in 2020, but passed on it, until now. Starting May 28 (Memorial Day Weekend) through September 6 (Labor Day Weekend) you will need reservations when entering at West Glacier, St. Mary, or Camas Road for travel/activities along the Going to the Sun Road. Each reservation is valid for seven days which is great news. However, if your plans take you into the park before 6:00 am or past 5:00 pm, you will not need a reservation for those times. Reservations open April 29 at 6:00 am on Recreation.gov.

• Rocky Mountain - lots of new changes for 2021 including two different reservation options. When headed to RMNP you will need to know which areas you want to see. If you’re interested in visiting the Bear Lake area (extremely popular) then you will need a reservation that includes that area as well as the rest of the park. If you don’t wish to visit Bear Lake then you will only need a rest of the park pass, these passes will be much easier to obtain just due to the popularity of Bear Lake. There are hours when you won’t need a reservation at all and much more information which you can find HERE. Reservations open May 1 on Recreation.gov.

• Acadia - reservations will be required to get to Cadillac Summit Road only. And only if you will be arriving by car (the bus system doesn't go through this area), so if you will be biking or hiking there, reservations will not be necessary. The reservations begin May 26 through October 19 and are required between sunrise and sunset. These reservations are already available on Recreation.gov!

• Great Smoky Mountain - this is a small change from 2020, but I would hate for it to be overlooked if you are visiting GSMNP. The Cades Cove loop is closed on Wednesdays for bikes and walking. Last year was Wednesday and Saturday, they will not be closing it on Saturdays this year. The closures are May 5 - September 1, 2021. There are no reservations needed to bike or walk the area, but I would suggest arriving early to find a good parking spot.

A few notes about the information above:

• All times listed are local to the park, if you want to make a reservation for a park when they open on Recreation.gov, please understand your time zone and do the math. For example, Yosemite reservations open at 6:00 am PT, if you are east coast that is 9:00 am for you.

• All reservations will be $2.00, except Acadia is $6.00.

• All reservations will still require a park pass, whether that be daily or your annual pass. Those can be purchased on Recreation.gov at the same time you are making your reservations.

• Each park is using a different time frame for when the reservations will be available for future dates, please use the links I’ve provided to read up on that. Some are 60 days out, others are the 1st of the month, they’re all different.

• RMNP and Yosemite specifically experienced a great deal of destruction last year, if you are going to either of these parks please be aware of closures.

We will continue to update this post as more information becomes available or if any other sites decide to add reservation requirements as well. If you have any specific questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us in the comments below.