Closures, deadlines & policy changes
Road closures, reservation deadlines, and policy changes that affect your trip, researched from press coverage and updated regularly.
Conditions change fast. Check the official NPS alerts page for each park before traveling.
October 4, 2026 · Zion
No Angels Landing permits will be issued October 5 through 8 while trail crews work on the chain section. The rest of Zion, including the Narrows and the West Rim Trail to Scout Lookout, stays open.
Source: Travelers Today ↗
October 3, 2026 · Yellowstone
Dunraven Pass and the Beartooth Highway close to regular vehicles on October 12. Most other park roads stay open through October 31, weather permitting, and limited oversnow travel begins December 15. The North Entrance to Northeast Entrance corridor stays open year-round.
Source: KEZJ ↗
October 1, 2026 · Zion
The seasonal lottery for hike dates December 1, 2026 through February 28, 2027 closes October 20, with results issued October 25. Applications are $6 on Recreation.gov, plus $3 per person if awarded. The day-before lottery continues as a backup.
Source: Deep Arrival ↗
September 15, 2026 · Glacier
Snow down to 6,500 feet shut the alpine section of Going-to-the-Sun Road in mid-September. The road typically closes for the season around the third Monday of October, but early storms can end the season sooner. Check the NPS road status the morning you go.
Source: Men's Journal ↗
September 8, 2026 · Glacier
Glacier ended its Going-to-the-Sun Road vehicle reservation system for 2026, the first summer without it since 2020. Instead, Logan Pass parking was capped at three hours and the Logan Pass shuttle was ticketed ($1 on Recreation.gov), both running July 1 through September 7.
Source: Travelers Today ↗
September 10, 2026
Yosemite dropped its peak-hours vehicle reservation system for 2026, replacing it with real-time traffic monitoring and active parking management. Arches ended timed entry for the first time since 2022. Rocky Mountain went the other way and kept its timed-entry system. Devils Garden Campground and Fiery Furnace hikes at Arches still need separate reservations.
Source: Food Drink Life ↗
February 19, 2026
The 2026 fee-free calendar drops MLK Day, Juneteenth, National Park Week, the Great American Outdoors Act day, and National Public Lands Day, and adds dates including Flag Day (June 14), the NPS 110th birthday (August 25), and Constitution Day (September 17). For 2026, fee-free entry applies to U.S. citizens and residents only, and 11 of the most-visited parks add a $100 nonresident surcharge. America 250 commemorative events run at parks all year.
Source: Weather.com ↗
On these dates, entrance fees are waived at the 400+ NPS sites that normally charge them. Only the entrance fee is waived; camping, tours, and reservations still cost extra. For 2026, fee-free entry applies to U.S. citizens and residents only.