You’ll need a reservation to visit some national parks in 2023. What to know
National parks across the U.S. are testing out programs to manage the influx of tourists in the new year.
Some of the most popular parks will require reservations or timed entries, or both, according to a National Park Service news release.
Two parks that tested pilot timed entry programs in 2022 are keeping that up in 2023, with some updates and modifications. So those planning to visit Arches National Park in Utah or Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado might want to start planning soon.
Arches National Park
Arches National Park ran a timed entry program in 2022, which it is updating to make more flexible in 2023. One update is visitors now have the opportunity to buy entrance tickets or annual passes in advance, the release said.
“During the 2022 pilot at Arches, timed entry tickets helped pace visitation into the park, lessen congestion, and enhance visitor experiences,” Superintendent Patricia Trap said in a statement. “This year, Arches will use another timed entry pilot to test operational improvements, which should provide more opportunities for access while protecting Arches’ extraordinary landscape.”
That means visitors will need to book their timed entry in advance if they want to enter between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. That requirement starts April 1 and will extend to Oct. 31, 2023, the release said.
Reservations are sold first-come first-served at Recreation.gov starting at 8 a.m. MST on Jan. 10, 2023. They’ll be released three months in advance in blocks, so when they go on sale Jan. 10, you’ll be reserving entry for April 1 through April 30, the release said.
Then on Feb. 1, reservations will open up for May. Any leftover bookings for April will also be available then. The rest of the reservations will follow that schedule, with June reservations opening up on March 1, and so on.
After you book your reservation, you’ll get a timed entry ticket for a one-hour window. The timed entries will be required for those entering the park from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and after you’ve entered you can stay in the park for the rest of the day. You’ll be able to leave and come back to the park as long as you have a “correctly validated” ticket.
Those who don’t plan ahead will have to try to get tickets at 6 p.m. the day before their visit. Tickets aren’t available at park entrances, and must be bought online at Recreation.gov or on the phone. Parks staff expect these tickets to go fast.
You won’t need a timed entry ticket if you have a camping permit, backcountry permit, Fiery Furnace permit, special use permits, concessions contracts, or commercial use authorization.
Rocky Mountain National Park
Rocky Mountain National Park will also require timed entries in 2023, and the system will be similar to the one the park ran in 2022. There are two reservations available.
One is for the Bear Lake Road Corridor, which also includes the rest of the park, the release said. Those reservations are from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The other permit is for the “rest of the park,” excluding the Bear Lake Road Corridor. That one is from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Entry windows are two hours, available at the same web address. But the reservations run for a different time period.
Tickets for Rocky Mountain National Park go on sale at 8 a.m. on Monday, May 1 and will apply to reservations from May 26 to June 30, the release said.
After that, reservations will be sold one month in advance starting on the first day of the previous month. So reservations for July will go on sale June 1, and so on.
What’s changing in Rocky Mountain National Park is that 40% of reservations will be available the day before at 5 p.m. But they’re expected to run out quickly, so the agency encourages planning ahead if you can.
The permit system will also run through Oct. 22, and spreads use throughout the park and throughout the day to divvy up parking and trailheads, the release said.
This story was originally published December 16, 2022 at 7:34 PM with the headline "You’ll need a reservation to visit some national parks in 2023. What to know."
