These US national parks will require a reservation in 2024
FILE - Tourists visiting Yosemite National Park in California pause to take photos at Olmsted Point, a popular destination in the park featuring views of Yosemite Valley and Tenaya Lake in 2012. (Robert Alexander/Archive Photos/Getty Images)
If you’re planning on visiting a national park somewhere in the United States in 2024, be sure to check if you may require a reservation to enter.
The National Park Service announced in November that at least three parks would see the return of their visitor management system next year, with Yosemite National Park joining that list just this month.
The reservation system originally launched in pilot form in 2020 and was used during several seasons following the COVID-19 pandemic both in Yosemite and several NPS sites around the country.
"We saw gridlock traffic and frustrated visitors return to Yosemite this year when its reservation system was suspended. We strongly support visitor use management at Arches and other parks to ensure poor visitor experience conditions don’t return there. Utah State University research at Arches and Glacier parks proves that reservation systems are working and largely welcomed by visitors," Cassidy Jones, senior visitation program manager for the National Parks Conservation Association, said in a statement. "After years of study and consideration, Rocky Mountain is advancing a plan that could lead to making its popular timed-entry system permanent, and Arches and other parks are weighing public comments that will ideally lead in a similar direction."
Here are the parks that will require a reservation ahead of your visit in 2024.
Arches National Park – Utah
FILE - Delicate Arch at sunset in Arches National Park Utah with snow capped La Sal Mountains October. ( Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Arches National Park in Utah has more than 2,000 natural stone arches, hundreds of pinnacles, massive rick fins and giant balanced rocks, according to the NPS.
And that's just from the roads.
According to the NPS, visitors can see even more if they decide to take a hike through the park.
Glacier National Park – Montana
FILE - Glacial striations and receding Grinnell and Salamander glaciers in cirque, Glacier National Park, Montana. (Marli Miller/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Glacier National Park in Montana features melting glaciers, alpine meadows, carved valleys and spectacular lakes, according to the NPS.
More than 700 miles of trails are perfect for anyone seeking to explore the wilderness.
Rocky Mountain National Park – Colorado
FILE - Views while ascending and descending the Rocky Mountain National Park's Alpine Visitor Center, in Grand Lake, Colorado, on July 18, 2017. (NurPhoto / Contributor/ Getty Images)
Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado has 415 square miles of adventure that host a range of mountain environments, according to the NPS. Check out the meadows in the Montane ecosystem or the alpine lakes and towering mountain peaks.
If you're a fan of hiking, you don't want to miss this park. There are 300 miles of hiking trails that showcase incredible wildlife.
Yosemite National Park – California
FILE - Water flows forcefully down Bridalveil Fall in Yosemite Valley, with rainbows visible in the mist, as warming temperatures have increased snowpack runoff, on April 27, 2023 in Yosemite National Park, California. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
Yosemite National Park in California was first protected in 1864 and is best known for its stunning waterfalls, but according to the NPS, within the park's nearly 1,200 square miles of beauty, visitors can find valleys, meadows, massive ancient sequoias and a vast wilderness area.
Over the winter, Yosemite National Park was closed to tourists after relentless winter storms dumped more than 15 feet of snow within the park's boundaries. A section of the park was also briefly closed in late April because of concerns over flooding due to snowmelt.
Even if you don’t see the park that you’d wish to visit on the list, you should always check out the National Park Service website for the most up-to-date information on reservation requirements.
FOX Weather contributed to this report. This story was reported from Los Angeles.