The standard “timed entry” reservation will be required from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. every day from May 23 through October 13, 2025. The reservations, which include Bear Lake Road, will be in effect from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, from May 23 to October 19, 2025. Additional reservation windows will become available the night before a chosen arrival date, so don’t fret if you didn’t score your first-choice permit right away.
Glacier National Park
All visitors entering Glacier National Park with a vehicle or motorcycle will require a timed entry reservation for the west side of Going-to-the-Sun Road and North Fork, from 7 a.m. and 3 p.m., if they’re visiting between June 13 and September 28. A portion of the park’s vehicle reservations will be available 120 days in advance, with additional options opening up to the public as next-day entry reservations, starting on June 12 on a rolling basis.
Arches National Park
Arches National Park is releasing first-come, first-served timed entry reservation tickets up to 6 months in advance of planned visitation dates. These tickets are required between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. daily from April 1 to July 6 and again from August 28 through October 31, 2025. It may seem a little complicated at first glance, but the park is releasing blocks of reservations on a rolling monthly basis, using the following schedule: April, May, and June reservations open January 2 at 8 a.m. MST; July reservations open February 1; August reservations open March 1; September reservations open April 1; and October reservations open May 1.
If you’re a last-minute planner, they’ve got your back, too. Beginning on March 31, Arches started releasing next-day reservation tickets, which are offered on a daily rolling basis at 7 p.m. MDT.
Acadia National Park
Similar to years past, Acadia National Park is keeping its Cadillac Mountain Summit Road vehicle reservations in 2025. It’s a highly popular spot to marvel at the sunrise, and morning times book up well in advance.
These vehicle reservations are required from May 21 through October 26, 2025, and the park differentiates between sunrise and daytime entry windows. Sunrise reservations have an entry window of 90 minutes, while daytime has a space of just 30 minutes. A portion (30%) of the summit reservations will be available 90 days in advance of an arrival date, while the remaining 70% will be released for purchase at 10 a.m. ET two days in advance.
Haleakalā National Park
Guests will need a permit to witness the sunrise from Maui’s highest peak, year-round. Anyone wishing to travel into the park between 3 a.m. and 7 a.m. will need to book a reservation through recreation.gov. These timed entry tickets become available 60 days in advance, with additional entries released two days in advance of the visit date.
Pro tip: even if you miss out on sunrise permits, you can still catch the sunset from Haleakalā’s summit, which is absolutely breathtaking and doesn’t require advance planning.
Carlsbad Caverns National Park
While you won’t need a reservation just to drive into the boundaries of Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, you will need one for any cave entry, including self-guided tours. The park strongly urges parkgoers to book their tour tickets in advance, as they often sell out, especially during the summer and on weekends.
These reservations are required for both adults and children (though kids 15 and under are free to enter the cavern for a self-guided day), and they become available 30 days in advance. Entry windows are 60 minutes each, and once inside, there’s no limit to how long visitors can explore the cave. Last entry is available until 2:30 p.m.
Parking permits
In addition to the aforementioned park entry permits, two noteworthy NPS sites will also implement parking permits in 2025. Muir Woods National Monument requires that guests book a parking or a shuttle reservation in advance of their visit, year-round. Great Smoky Mountains National Park also started a paid parking pass initiative in 2023, which states that parking tags are necessary on any vehicle parking for longer than 15 minutes in the park. However, the park has also decided to honor the NPS’ fee-free entry days, and will not require parking passes on those dates.
