During peak season, times of significant park repair, or other periods where parks are unable to accommodate as many visitors as usual, some National Parks may institute a day use or timed reservation system for entry. This system addresses both the congestion in popular parks as well as helps ensure safety of the visitors when the park may need additional resources to do so.
Before visiting, you should always check the NPS.gov page for the park in question to ensure that day use or timed entry reservations are not required. Generally these restrictions are announced and put in place several months before they are enforced. Please be aware that park regulations are subject to sudden changes.
All reservations for parks that require them can be secured via recreation.gov. As there is both limited availability and high demand, we recommend trying to secure these reservations as early as they are released.
The Annual Pass does not supplant the need to reserve a ticket for day use or timed entry. Pass holders can still apply their card towards free admission to federal recreation sites when securing your reservation online through recreation.gov.
Please note: If you have applied your America the Beautiful Pass towards day use or timed entry reservations you will still be required to present your pass at the park entrance. Visitors who do not have their physical pass on hand will be responsible for entrance fees.