Many national parks will require advance reservations this season, according to Thrillist.
Yosemite is one of the high-profile parks on the list, with reservations being needed from June 15 until August 15, plus Labor Day weekend.
Other sites that are calling for reservations for at least certain areas include Acadia, Carlsbad Caverns, Gateway Arch, and Haleakalā National Park.
Many availability windows for these parks are based on access at sunrise and popular holiday weekends. Reservations can all be made via Recreation.gov.
National parks have become increasingly popular, but this does not always encourage an inherent appreciation of nature. For example, Yosemite has been subjected to litter, Acadia has dealt with drone pilots, and Carlsbad Caverns has had to contend with food waste.
Limiting visitor volume is not only a necessity imposed by limited parking space, but it also reduces the incidence of these kinds of problems — though visitors would ideally follow park rules. If you end up getting a reservation at one of these parks, remember to vacation responsibly.
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While the National Park Service was able to retain thousands of seasonal workers amid federal restructuring, it is still facing cuts, which could make it even more difficult to maintain certain areas.
The reservation system isn't without its critics, either. Back in 2023, Booz Allen Hamilton, a contractor hired to operate the reservation site, was sued for allegedly loading up reservations with junk fees. It sought a dismissal of the suit.
While the suit was ultimately withdrawn, Redditors didn't hold back in a thread from two years ago that the reservation experience could be improved to support the health of the parks and enhance visitor experience.
"Reservation no-shows are a feature not a bug from the standpoint of NPS," one commenter suggested. "More revenue. Less maintenance and disturbance. The only way to fix the bedlam at heavily trafficked properties is to align prices with demand, which would also fix the budgetary shortfall, but that would be a disaster for public access."
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However, several Redditors on a more recent thread had a different take.
"We have lodging booked in the park," one visitor planning to visit Yosemite this year wrote. "We are coming this summer and do not want the parks to be overcrowded! It will be miserable without a reservation system."
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