Planning to visit some national parks in 2024? With visitor numbers rising in parks across the country, it’s no surprise that some parks will be requiring reservations to visit this year.
Will Zion require a reservation in 2024? Keep reading to find out whether you’ll need a reservation during your Cliffrose Lodge stay. Then, we’ll cover some other national parks that will require tickets or reservations in the new year.
Will Zion Require a Reservation in 2024?
Will Zion require a reservation in 2024? The answer is no! Unless you’re planning to hike Angels Landing during your visit, which requires a permit that you can get in one of two lotteries, you won’t need any reservations or tickets to enter the park. You will need to pay the park’s entrance fee or present a valid national park annual pass.
While you won’t need a reservation to visit Zion in 2024, there are a few other parks that require one this year.
Arches National Park
In response to rising visitor numbers, Arches National Park implemented a new pilot timed entry ticket program to the park last year. The program was designed to spread out visitors to the park, allowing for fewer crowds during the busiest part of the day.
The 2023 timed entry ticket program is returning in 2024, with only a few small changes.
Timed entry tickets are required from April 1 through October 31, and from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. This means that if you’re planning to visit the park after 4 p.m. or before 7 a.m. during those dates, you’ll still be able to enter without a timed entry ticket.
For those hoping to visit the park in the middle of the day, you’ll need to go online to Recreation.gov up to three months in advance of the month of your visit. Tickets are available on a first-come, first-serve basis, and are released monthly three months in advance. For instance, if you want to visit Arches in April of this year, you could reserve a ticket starting January 2 at 8 a.m. MT. If you want to visit in May, you can reserve a ticket starting February 1 at 8 a.m. MT.
A limited number of tickets are available daily for the following day, starting at 7 p.m. MDT. Timed entry tickets are always free, but you will need to pay a $2 reservation processing fee to obtain your ticket.
Yosemite National Park
Utah isn’t the only state with national parks beginning to require reservations. In California, Yosemite National Park is one of the latest parks to require a reservation.
The park implemented a brand new “Peak Hours Plus” program for 2024. Under this program, visitors entering the park between 5 a.m. and 4 p.m. on the weekends from April 13 to June 30, daily from July 1 to August 16, and weekends from August 17 to October 27 will need to make a reservation. Reservations will also be required on select additional weekends. This includes weekends between February 10 and 25, and on President’s Day on February 19.
Full-day reservations are available. Or, you can get a reservation to visit any time after noon on a required day. Reservations were available starting on January 5 at 8 a.m. for all dates in 2024. You can go online to get a reservation at
recreation.gov/timed-entry/10086745. Reservations cost $2 per vehicle.
Rocky Mountain National Park
Like many popular national parks across the country, Rocky Mountain National Park has seen an increase in visitor numbers in recent years. For that reason, it’s another park that will be bringing back a reservation system for 2024.
Beginning May 24, 2024, guests visiting the park will need one of two reservations for select days and times.
From May 24 to October 20, visitors wanting to drive the Bear Lake Road Corridor, in addition to accessing the rest of the park, between the hours of 5 a.m. and 6 p.m. will need a reservation. A second reservation will also be available and will provide access to all parts of the park except for the Bear Lake Road Corridor between the hours of 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Reservations include a two-hour entry window. This means that if you have a reservation, you’ll need to enter the park within that two-hour window. However, you can leave the park at any time.
Without a reservation, you can enter any part of the park except for the Bear Lake Road Corridor before 9 a.m. or after 2 p.m. You can access the Bear Lake Road Corridor before 5 a.m. or after 6 p.m. without a reservation.
Reservations are free, but you’ll need to pay a $2 processing fee to get a reservation on Recreation.gov. Reservations are open on a rolling basis. Check the NPS website to learn when the dates open for reservations for the dates of your visit.
Glacier National Park
The final park requiring a reservation in 2024 is Glacier National Park. This park required reservations last year too. In 2023, reservations were good for three days. In 2024, however, reservations are for just one day. This is to better accommodate a greater number of guests in the park.
There are three different reservations available throughout different parts of the year. One is for Going-to-the-Sun Road (West). This reservation is required from May 24 through September 8. Reservations for North Fork are also required from May 24 to September 8. The third reservation is for Many Glacier. This reservation is required from July 1 to September 8 this year.
Like the other reservations on this list, reservations for Glacier National Park are free but require a $2 processing fee. These are available on a rolling basis from Recreation.gov.
Planning Your 2024 Visit to Zion National Park
While you won’t need a reservation to visit the park in 2024, if you’re planning a stay at Cliffrose Lodge, don’t wait to book your stay! Book today to guarantee your choice of our beautiful and unique resort rooms.