Itinerary Updates

Cadillac Mountain Reservations

RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED TO DRIVE TO THE CADILLAC MOUNTAIN SUMMIT Wed May 21 through Sun Oct 26, 2025. Reservations for 2025 will open April 15th. Read all about this here.

Vehicle reservations are on sale on a rolling basis.

30% of vehicle reservations are made available 90 days ahead of each date. The remaining 70% are released at 10:00AM ET two days in advance of each date.

I recommend trying to get one now and if you miss out, try again two days in advance of the date you want to go to Cadillac Mountain.

To make a reservation, you’ll need to create an account at Recreation.gov. Do this NOW so it is all set up well before you go to make the reservation.  This account can be used to permits, lotteries, campgrounds, guided hikes, etc. with the NPS at all the national parks. 

Check the reservation release schedule NOW and mark the exact date and time you need for your trip dates in your calendar. Try to get the time slot that’s on your itinerary.

MAKING YOUR RESERVATION:

• login to your recreation.gov account at least 10 minutes before reservations can be made
• search for ACADIA NATIONAL PARK VEHICLE RESERVATIONS
• click on Cadillac Summit Road – Daytime (unless you plan on getting up early for the sunrise)
• have a reliable digital clock.  When your clock strikes 10:00AM Eastern Time exactly, immediately click the date and time you need and press REQUEST TICKETS as fast as you possibly can!
• when you have the date/time you need added to your cart, finish the checkout process. You have 15 minutes to do this before you lose your spot
• check your email, print off the timed-entry ticket, and take the hard copy with you when you get to the park or take a screen shot and have it on your phone.

If you miss out, try again 2 days before, following the same process. 

Carriage Rides

The previous official concessionaire for carriage rides, Carriages of Acadia, has closed, but there is a new one: Acadia by Carriage. The carriage rides leave from Wildwood Stables.

Campground Reservations

Starting in 2025, reservations for Blackwoods, Seawall, and Schoodic Woods campgrounds will be available four months earlier than before. 90% of campground reservations will be available up to six months ahead of the desired arrival date. The remaining 10% of the campground reservations will be released two weeks ahead of the desired arrival date, which includes same-day reservations.

For example, campground reservations for the month of May 2025 are available on December 1, 2024, at 10 am EST. Campground reservations for the month of June 2025 are available on January 1, 2025, at 10 am EST, and so on.

You have to make campground reservations online at Recreation.gov since reservations cannot be made in-person or by contacting the park. 

Timed Entry Reservations 

Arches National Park has a timed entry system from 7:00AM to 4:00PM daily, April 1 to July 6, 2025 and August 28 to October 31, 2025.

Reservations will allow visitors to enter the park during a one-hour window. For example, a 7:00AM ticket will allow entry between 7:00AM and 7:59AM. 

You need to select a time – try to choose times around your itinerary. You’ll want the 7:00AM – 8:00AM or 8:00AM – 9:00AM time slot. If you miss out, you can get into the park before 7:00AM without needing a permit.

If you are planning to go there for two days, you’ll need to secure a separate timed entry reservation for both days.  

There is no length-of-stay requirement and you may stay in the park for the remainder of the day once you have entered. The only restriction is on the time of entry. You must enter and have your ticket validated within your reserved one-hour window. 

The park will release tickets first-come, first-served on Recreation.gov three (3) months in advance in monthly blocks. Check the NPS website for the exact schedule. 

A limited number of tickets will be available for purchase one day prior to entry at 7:00 PM MDT through Recreation.gov. 

Timed Entry Tickets will NOT be required: 

• If you enter before 7:00AM – so you could get a very early start if you miss out on getting a reservation and still enter. If you miss out on a timed entry reservation and aren’t camping at Devil’s Garden, this would be my recommendation. In fact, getting there that early is a good idea anyway to snag a parking spot!
• Are camping at Devil’s Garden Campground 
• Have a permit or reservation for Fiery Furnace (so you won’t need one for Day 3) 
• Ride a bicycle or hike into the park (hiking is not advisable because of the distances, but bicycles are an option)  
• Have a backcountry or special use permit
• For the following dates in 2025:
  •  January -March, 2025
  •  July 7 – August 27, 2025
  •  November 1 – December 31, 2025

MAKING YOUR RESERVATION:

• login to your recreation.gov account at least 10 minutes before reservations can be made (set this account up well in advance)
• search for ARCHES NATIONAL PARK TIMED ENTRY
• click 1-day Personal Vehicle Timed Entry
• have a reliable digital clock.  When your clock strikes 8:00AM Mountain Time exactly, immediately click the date and time you need and press REQUEST TICKETS as fast as you possibly can! You can choose a second date as soon as you have reserved your first date. You can pay for both together after you’ve added the dates to your cart.
• when you have the date/time(s) you need added to your cart, finish the checkout process. You have 15 minutes to do this before you lose your spot
• check your email, print off the timed-entry ticket, and take the hard copy with you when you get to the park or take a screen shot and have it on your phone.

Visitor Center  

The Visitor Center is not currently showing movies

Fiery Furnace 

Fiery Furnace guided hikes are extremely popular. You can book them online – read more on the NPS website.

UPDATE as of March 2025: Fiery Furnace is closed for guided hikes and permits until further notice. Check the NPS website in case this has changed.

The Heat

Summer temperatures in Arches National Park can often exceed 100°F. To take this into account,   

• get into the park as early as you can so you are starting in the coolest time of the day. Try to do as much of the itinerary as you can before it gets too hot.  
• avoid the longer, more strenuous hikes in the afternoon when it’s hottest. 
• consider taking a break in the afternoon then head back into the park in the late afternoon/ early evening to finish off your day. 
• carry more water than you think you’ll need and drink often.

Shuttle

The free scenic shuttle tour out to Rainbow Point is not being offered in 2025, so unfortunately, this option is not available. You will need to drive your own vehicle there.

The regular shuttle will operate April 4 – October 19, 2025.

Scenic Road Closure

The paved scenic road in Fruita beyond the turn for the amphitheater and C loop of the campground through to Capitol Gorge (including) the Grand Wash and Capitol Gorge roads reopened on March 6, 2025 after being closed in 2024. However, the NPS have announced that it will close temporarily in spring 2025 for another layer of paving. Check the NPS website for current conditions, as they could happen quickly.

If it’s closed when you’re there, you won’t be able to do the two unpaved road drives or the hike to Capitol Gorge to The Tanks (via Pioneer Register). However, you can still do the Grand Wash hike from the other direction. The parking in UT-24 fills early, so aim to start this before 9:00AM if possible.

Here are some alternative hikes if you’re looking for another one.

Many Glacier 2025

Due to extremely limited parking during construction in the Swiftcurrent area, you will NOT be able to drive into Many Glacier this summer.

Instead, there will be a temporary shuttle service for hikers to access Many Glacier and Swiftcurrent from July 1, 2025, to September 21, 2025. This replaces the vehicle reservations that have been required in recent years. The hiker shuttle service will be available to around 120 groups per day, limited by parking, and only available to reserve on short notice.

Shuttle tickets will be available seven days in advance each morning at 8 a.m., starting on June 24, and at 7 p.m. the night before entry, starting on June 30. You’ll get your ticket on Recreation.gov. Time blocks for shuttle boarding and details on the daily shuttle service will be announced in late spring. Only one shuttle ticket is required per vehicle and will admit all members of the party included in the vehicle.

Hikers with a shuttle ticket will park at one of several designated pull-outs, transformed into temporary parking lots, along the Many Glacier Road. Hikers will board the shuttle from their parking location for a 15–30-minute ride to Many Glacier Hotel. Shuttles will stop near the Many Glacier Entrance station where park entry passes will be validated prior to entry.

There will be no general public entrance into Many Glacier between July 1 and September 21, 2025, without a shuttle ticket, or commercial service or lodging reservation. However, the Many Glacier Hotel, Swan Mountain Outfitters and Glacier Park Boat Company will operate as usual. *** This means that if you book a lake cruise, you won’t need a shuttle ticket BUT tickets might be very hard to get, so book as soon as you can. ***

Prior to July 1 and after September 21, entrance to Many Glacier is accessible without a shuttle ticket or commercial service or lodging reservation. However, because parking is limited to the Many Glacier Hotel parking lot, capacity will be reached quickly, and daily temporary access restrictions are expected.

Tusayan Pueblo Museum

This is currently closed. You can go to Zuni Point instead (see option A for that day)

Desert View Watchtower

The steps to the top of the tower are now open when staffing allows, from 9 am to 5 pm. Capacity is 25 people in the tower at one time. At ticket system admits 25 people with a 20 minute time limit. 

• Tickets are 1^st come 1^st serve and admission is free to the public.
• You must be present to receive tickets, no tickets are held for future times.
• No guided tours are available.

Shuttles

Check the NPS website for service schedules.

The Heat

Summer temperatures in Grand Canyon National Park can often exceed 100°F. To take this into account,   

• Get into the park as early as you can so you are starting in the coolest time of the day. Try to do as much of the itinerary as you can before it gets too hot.  
• Avoid the longer, more strenuous hikes in the afternoon when it’s hottest. 
• Consider taking a break in the afternoon then head back into the park in the late afternoon/ early evening to finish off your day. 
• Carry more water than you think you’ll need and drink often.

Inner Canyon visitor use area closures

If you’re planning to hike below the rim, there are closures later in the year related to the Transcanyon Waterline Construction project:

• Bright Angel Trail north of Havasupai Gardens and the Silver Bridge that crosses the Colorado River, closed Oct 21, 2024 to May 14, 2025
• Bright Angel Campground, closed Nov 4, 2024 to May 14, 2025

Construction areas and schedule are subject to change. More information about construction closures is available at www.nps.gov/grca/getinvolved/tcwl.htm

Campground Reservations

All campgrounds in Grant Teton National Park and the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway are made through the NPS website recreation.gov. You will not be able to make reservations through local campground call centers or websites.

All are reserved on a rolling basis 6 months out, so book exactly 6 months to the day the minute that reservations open to get a spot (they are all very popular, especially in summer).

A limited number of sites will be held back at the Colter Bay and Gros Ventre Campgrounds for reservation on a 14-day rolling basis.

Timed Entry Reservations

Timed reservations have NOT been announced for 2025.

Grove of the Patriarchs

The Grove of the Patriarchs is CLOSED to all public entry, due to flooding. Construction to replace the bridge is scheduled to begin summer 2027. The Grove of the Patriarchs parking lot and restrooms will have normal seasonal access, along with the Eastside and Silver Falls Trails. 

For OPTIONS A and B, park at the Grove of the Patriarchs parking but skip the hike. For OPTION C, skip the hike completely.

Mowich Lake and Carbon River

On April 14, 2025, the Washington State Department of Transportation closed the State Route 165 Carbon River Fairfax Bridge to all vehicle and pedestrian traffic until further notice. The bridge provided access to Mount Rainier National Park’s Mowich Lake Entrance and Carbon River areas. Due to the closure of the bridge, there is no public access from SR 165 to these areas.

This means that you won’t be able to do Day 3 of the 3-Day Itinerary. If you have 3 days, on Day 3, I would see Reflection Lakes for the sunrise, then go back to Paradise for the morning and do more hikes there. I would shorten Day 1 and do the Silver falls / Grove of the Patriarchs Trails on Day 3 afternoon.

Hurricane Hill

The Visitor Center at Hurricane Hill was completely destroyed by fire in 2023, so there are no shops or restaurants there. The NPS has also limited the number of spaces available each day. The earlier you can get there, the better.

Lake Crescent Boat Cruises

The scenic boat cruise on Lake Crescent is not operating in 2025 as of March 2025.

Road closure – Hoh Rainforest

In late December, 2024, the Upper Hoh Road was half washed away due to high river levels. The road is temporarily closed, so you cannot visit the Hoh Rainforest area. They started repairing the road March 2025.

Accommodation Reservations

The reservation system for Yellowstone lodging booked through Yellowstone National Park Lodges operates on a 13-month prior rolling advance date.

Reservations open at 12:00AM (midnight) MST/ MDT online or 7:00AM MST/ MDT on the phone on the fifth of each month for the same month the following year.

So you can book on:
April 5, 2024 for stays any time April 1 – 30, 2025
May 5, 2024 for stays any time May 1 – 31, 2025
June 5, 2024 for stays any time June 1 – 30, 2025
July 5, 2024 for stays any time July 1 – 31, 2025
Etc.

This is for every month of the year; there aren’t separate windows for summer and winter stays. (Though not everything is open in winter, of course).

Swim Areas

The Boiling River Swim Area is closed until further notice.  The Firehole River Swim Area is open in theory though the river is usually closed to swimming until mid-summer due to high water and strong currents. Check the NPS website for current conditions.

Museum of the National Park Ranger

The Museum of the National Park Ranger is open for summer (closed September 1 – June 29), Always double check their website, as this does sometimes change. For visits outside these dates, either spend longer at Norris Basin or in Mammoth Hot Springs. Or take the short hike to Beryl Spring (located before Artists Paintpots). 

Hiking Trail Closures

In the Canyon area, Uncle Tom’s Trail is closed (and has been for several years).  Do the Red Rock Point Trail instead. 

Observation Point is also closed due to safety concerns about the stone steps.  Skip this.

Road Closures

For the most up-to-date information about temporary road closures in the park, visit the park roads web page.

Campgrounds

Norris Campground and Pebble Creek Campground will be closed in 2025. Check the NPS website for updates. All campsites must be reserved in advance, with the exception of Mammoth Campground which offers first-come, first-served sites from October 15 – April 1.

Dining

Many dining options inside the park have changed hours, openings and reservations.  Check here. 

Biscuit Basin

After a hydrothermal explosion occurred on July 23, 2024, Biscuit Basin is closed until further notice due to the possibility of another event. Grand Loop Road remains open to vehicles, and other nearby thermal basins, like Black Sand Basin, are open.

Toxic Cyanobacteria

This toxic bacteria is sometimes found in the Virgin River and the streams of Zion National Park. This includes The Narrows. The hike is still open but do NOT submerge your head or filter drinking water from any streams or hike if you have open cuts or sores.

The Narrows

Remember that The Narrows is closed if there is danger of flash flooding or when  flow rate of above 150 cfs. This often happens in spring because of the snow melt, so check with the NPS before setting out.

The Heat

Summer temperatures in Zion National Park can often exceed 100°F. To take this into account,   

• Get into the park as early as you can so you are starting in the coolest time of the day. Try to do as much of the itinerary as you can before it gets too hot.  
• Avoid the longer, more strenuous hikes n the afternoon when it’s hottest. 
• Consider taking a break in the afternoon then head back into the park in the late afternoon/ early evening to finish off your day. 
• Carry more water than you think you’ll need and drink often.

Access to Emerald Pools Trails

In May 2023, park engineers found that the bridge over the Virgin River near Zion Lodge (Shuttle Stop #5) was shifting on its foundation and so they have closed the bridge (it’s still closed in 2024). This is the main access to the Emerald Pools trails. Since you cannot cross the river at Zion Lodge, to reach Emerald Pools, you need to either:

• hike out and back on the Kayenta Trail from the Grotto (Shuttle Stop #6); or
• access the Emerald Pools Trails from the Court of the Patriarchs (Shuttle Stop #4).