Plan Ahead for National Parks This Summer

If you're planning summer travel or want to get out of the Philadelphia area, America's national parks make appealing destinations. Now is the time to get your summer trip planning in full gear. At several highly frequented parks, visitor access is by reservation, not by paying at the entrance gate.

According to Recreation.gov, many campsites can be booked six months ahead, and some popular campgrounds at parks can be filled within minutes. Yosemite National Park and its Upper Pines campsites make reservations available up to five months ahead on the 15th of each month at 7 a.m. Pacific. Under this calendar, the March 15 release opens part of the July 15 through Aug. 14 arrival window, which includes the peak summer travel period.

Philadelphia travelers should also be aware that a park pass may not include all items needed to enter the parks, particularly at parks where road access requires a reservation. 

At Acadia National Park in Maine, for example, visitors need to request a vehicle reservation to drive Cadillac Summit Road from May 20 through Oct. 25. The booking calendar adds another step to the process, since 30% of sunrise and daytime reservations go on sale 90 days ahead. The remaining 70% of reservations go on sale two days in advance. In addition, visitors still need a park entrance pass.

Rocky Mountain National Park offers another example. The park relies on two-hour entry periods; timed-entry reservations are valid for one day only. The reservation covers entry, not a parking space at a specified trailhead or destination.

According to a FoodDrinkLife.com report, summer access varies from park to park. For example, after receiving 4.17 million visitors last year, Rocky Mountain National Park will again require timed entry beginning May 22. Yosemite National Park, which received about 4.28 million visits last year, has removed an entrance reservation requirement for 2026.