By Allison Pohle

Travelers will no longer need reservations to drive into most major national parks starting this summer.

The National Park Service said Wednesday that Arches, Glacier and Yosemite national parks won't require advance reservations.

The administration said the decision is meant to expand access to the parks. It represents a large departure from the way travelers have visited parks for many years.

Before implementing its reservation system, Utah's Arches National Park closed its entrance gate and required visitors to turn around and come back later. The park website said that the reservation system reduced congestion successfully since the pilot was implemented in 2022 and improved visitors' experiences.

The Park Service announcement detailing the change at Arches encouraged visitors to arrive early or come late and to be flexible when enjoying the park. "The park looks forward to working closely with state partners to implement these adjustments and refine the approach to serve visitors while protecting park resources," the announcement said.

The Interior Department didn't immediately respond to a request for comment about the decision.

Some parks will still require travelers to get tickets in advance. Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, which formalized its timed-entry program through a public-comment process, will continue to have reservations during peak hours. Zion National Park in Utah will still operate a lottery system for its Angels Landing hike.

Write to Allison Pohle at allison.pohle@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

February 18, 2026 15:03 ET (20:03 GMT)

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