Imagine contacting your favorite hotel for a reservation this summer.

The hotel has a new policy – “First come-first serve.”

How well do you think this will go?

Regarding new policy, the hotel says “People always want to stay at our hotel, but lack of reservation won’t be a problem when you arrive.”

2026 National Park Service canceled reservations at very popular national parks, such as Arches, Yosemite, Mount Rainier, and Glacier.

Already for Yosemite this year, here’s what happened without day-use reservations on a busy weekend.

In February, Firefall – Horsetail Falls event draws crowds of people to watch sunset at a spectacular waterfall in Yosemite Valley.

Past years, reservations were issued for this event, due to Yosemite Valley’s one-way road, parking lots that fill up, shuttle buses needed.

For 2026 President’s Day weekend, this was the visitor experience.

Saturday thousands of people poured into Yosemite Valley hours before the sunset. Parking lots filled up by mid-afternoon, distance from parking lots to El Capitan Meadow is four miles, too far for families to walk. Shuttle buses were full so they didn’t stop at designated stops.

Due to overcast sky, at sunset waterfall spectacle didn’t happen.

It took three hours to transport people on shuttle buses back to the parking lots. Children and under-dressed people waited in near-freezing temperatures.

Without day-use reservations in Yosemite – visitor experience was abysmal, and public safety threatened.

The American people love our national parks – but parks are suffering from a thousand cuts by the federal government.

 

No park reservations, what to expect this summer

National Parks Conservation Association –
“Interior Secretary Burgum’s misguided action will put park visitors back into traffic jams, limit access due to closed, overcrowded parking lots and trails and make the park experience worse. Ending the reservation programs is an incredible waste of Park Service staff time and expertise, and it ignores the community members, advocates, and visitors whose input helped shape successful, improved visitor experiences at these beloved parks over the last several years.”

 

Arches NP

All parking lots in Arches are limited, in summer, parking lots can fill up by 8am.

“Once parking lots fill up, staff may delay vehicles from entering the park until space opens to accommodate more people and vehicles. During these temporary delays (which may last three to five hours), vehicles may not park near the entrance sign or anywhere along the road to wait.”

More NPS info – Parking and Traffic

Tip: June – August, weather is high 90ties, way too hot to hike in middle of the day.

 

Yosemite NP

Yosemite has successfully used day-use reservations in summer since 2021.

2026, the new superintendent of Yosemite NP canceled day-use reservations for this summer, without comment or reasons provided.

Expect to wait for hours to go through park entrance kiosk on Route 140, a two lane road, with no place for kids to get out of car. Hiking up Mist Trail to Vernal Fall will be a pedestrian traffic jam, overlooks jam-packed with people, Yosemite Valley parking lots filled up. More wildlife killed on the roads with too many cars driving around.

Tip: Sign up for parking lot traffic alerts in Yosemite Valley – YNPTRAFFIC to 333111

 

Mount Rainier NP

Summer season is short but glorious, and Paradise Valley is most popular area in July and August.

For past two years, timed entry reservations improved visitor experience and protected trails and meadows from too many visitors.

This summer, waiting 3 – 4 hours to enter the park, traffic jams, parking lots full in morning, people parking illegally on road shoulders, and in meadows.

Parks tips to avoid summer congestion.

 

Glacier NP

Summer 2025, Glacier National Park had timed entry reservations between June and September for Going-to the-Sun Road, coming from the west.

In February, reservations were canceled, but no plans instituted to address parking and overcrowding issues.

Currently, March 8, 2026, this is message on the National Park website.

“The review of 2026 reservation pilot is in progress. Park officials evaluating what worked well, identifying areas for improvement, and exploring new ideas. Updated details will be published here upon completion.”

Tip: Enter Glacier NP at St. Mary’s east side entrance, it’s much less busy.

 

TAKE ACTION

Show support for national parks timed entry reservations.

Contact National Park Service

Topic: “Restore park reservations this summer”

Feedback:
– No reason given for canceling reservations.
– Visitor experience is degraded with long lines, full parking lots, crowded trails.
– Public safety and wildlife threatened.
– Environment (fragile meadows, desert crusts) ruined by too many people.
– Timed-entry reservations are known successful solution.

Contact Alex Padilla, Senator California

In February Senator Padilla spoke out against Yosemite reservation cancellations – this “will diminish the visitor experience for Californians and tourists alike. With our National Park system already strained by Donald Trump’s funding and staffing cuts, this decision will limit outdoor recreation opportunities, degrade the Park’s natural resources, and strain local businesses that rely on a steady stream of park visitors.”

Alex Padilla pressured Secretary Doug Burgum to put back timed entry reservations for Yosemite last summer, with success. Reservations were in place for most weeks in summer 2025.

National Parks Conservation Association

Read “Visitors Will Suffer After Yosemite Cancels Popular Reservation System.”

Email National Parks Conservation Association, supporting national park timed-entry reservations.

Elizabeth Young
Travel for Kids
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