Following the government cuts to National Park programs, Yosemite, Arches and Glacier national parks removed their reservation system for the 2026 year. The reservation system only allowed the registration of a set amount of time tickets prior to the change that were released at 7 p.m. the day before. This change began in mid-February and is expected to last through the summer.
This reservation system change includes the admission process to Yosemite’s Firefall event at Horsetail Fall, a phenomenon where the light from the setting sun causes the waterfall to give the illusion of molten lava or fire. Prior to this change, tickets to this event were highly sought after and hard to come by. With looser regulations on the number of people allowed in the park, more visitors will have the chance to catch a glimpse of this event.
“As someone who enjoys hiking I’m really excited to see the impacts this has on national parks and recreation.” – Zunzeiry Meleldez, Junior English major at the University of North Georgia
The U.S. Department of the Interior, which oversees the National Park Service, addressed concerns about maintaining the park in a press release on Feb. 18.
Kevin Lilly, Acting Assistant Secretary for Fish, Wildlife and Parks, said, “We’re expanding access where conditions allow and using targeted tools only where necessary to protect visitor safety, maintain emergency access and preserve these extraordinary places for future generations.”
While students in the University of North Georgia’s hiking club have not planned any group trips to these parks, the parks are projecting full-peak-season attendance. Mount Rainer National Park will also not require a reservation system for the 2026 season, following a trial program from 2024. Mount Rainer National Park has two entrances on the Sunrise and Sunset sides of the park. These entrances are three hours apart, and access to the closer one is important.
Sandie Tripp, a frequent national park traveler, said, “I am nervous that they are removing the reservation system from these parks, but I am worried about the animals in these areas. With more people traveling in the park, they will have to be more vigilant and aware of their impact on the environment.”
Without tickets to these parks, visitors were advised to arrive before a set time, usually in the early morning hours, before park rangers were on duty to check for reservations. Glacier National Park visitors were advised to get to the gates before 3 a.m. prior to this adjustment in time selection.
