A view from Rocky Mountain National Park's Alpine Visitor Center. Photo: NurPhoto via Getty Images
Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park is one of several popular U.S. national parks now requiring timed entry reservations during peak seasons.
Why it matters: Overcrowding has been hitting U.S. national parks hard, and park officials are turning to timed entry systems to help manage demand.
How it works: From May 24 through mid-October, you'll need a timed entry reservation to enter Rocky Mountain National Park between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Reservations cost $2, in addition to the entry fee — and you can still expect long lines at the main entrance gates.
You can book online up to a month beforehand, or at 7 p.m. the night before your visit, when park officials release 40% of the available passes.
Zoom out: Washington's Mount Rainier National Park, Utah's Arches National Park and Montana's Glacier National Park are also using some form of timed entry system this season.
By the numbers: The country's national parks had 325.5 million visitors last year, per the National Park Service, up 4% from 2022.
20 parks — "many of them less well known" — broke their visitor records last year, NPS says.
