If you want to swap your local fireworks show for the daily shows at the Old Faithful Geyser this Fourth of July, here’s some good news: There are still more than 20 rooms available at the Old Faithful Inn that night.
Those reservations are starting to fill up, however, as this time of year is a “sweet spot” for summer travel planning, said Todd Walton, director of marketing and sales for Xanterra Travel Collection, which operates all nine lodging facilities in the park along with a handful of campgrounds.
“Summer bookings are looking really good, we’re super, super busy,” Walton said. “Now is the time to plan ahead to get your optimal reservation.”
There’s an urban legend of sorts that Walton is keen to dispel, and the current room availability certainly backs up: You don’t need to book a year ahead of your stay at one of the properties in Yellowstone, though reservations are available up to 13 months in advance.
“There’s almost always availability somewhere in the park,” Walton said. “Even if you come to the website or call in a week or two ahead of time, we can usually find a place for you somewhere in the park.”
Reservations Required at Glacier, Rocky Mountain
Getting into some of these parks in the first place will require pre-planning, however, as several national parks now require reservations. A timed-entry reservation system that’s been in place for several years at Rocky Mountain National Park begins May 23, while Glacier National Park will pilot a similar program beginning on June 13.
You can book your vehicle reservation for Glacier as early as 120 days out, meaning the first reservations will become available on February 13 at 8 a.m. MST. You can also make a reservation the night before your visit, with tickets available starting at 7 p.m.
For Rocky Mountain National Park, car reservations will be made available on the first day of each month for May through September, beginning at 8 a.m.
For both parks, vehicle reservations cost $2 this year.
Because many tourists flock to the national parks to fully experience the great outdoors, another reservation you should make in advance is for a campsite. You will generally need reservations to camp in the aforementioned national parks in Wyoming, Montana and Colorado — and, depending on the park and the date you want to visit, those are going fast.
But if the idea of roughing it sounds, well, a bit rough, you can opt for a bed at one of the lodges situated within Yellowstone, Grand Teton and Glacier national parks. There aren’t lodges in Rocky Mountain National Park, though there are a variety of lodging options in nearby Estes, Colorado.
Glacier’s Chalets Booked In Minutes
One of the hottest reservations for Montana’s Glacier National Park are the two rustic chalets that visitors must hike several miles to reach.
There are only 17 rooms at Sperry Chalet and 12 rooms at Granite Park Chalet, and a short window of availability of about two months, which means reservations go quickly. This year, all of the reservations were gone within about the first 10 minutes when they were made available in mid-January, said Kevin Warrington, the chalet coordinator for both properties.
“That is very typical,” Warrington said. “If there is anything different this year, demand was down just a scooch from last year.”
That said, people always have to change their travel plans for all sorts of reasons, and the chalets will post any available rooms online. “You have to be diligent about checking,” Warrington added.
If you missed out on the chalets, there are still several single-night reservations available at the in-park lodges, though options are limited. Still, visitors who have the flexibility to make a last-minute trip happen can often find rooms with about one week’s notice, said Mike Knetemann, director of digital marketing for Xanterra, which operates all five of the in-park facilities.
But there’s a shorter visiting calendar for much of Glacier that’s dictated by when the Going-to-the-Sun Road is open, typically between mid-to-late June and October.
Another factor that may impact availability this year? The Swiftcurrent Motor Inn & Cabins will be closed for a major renovation.
As a result, tourists planning to visit Glacier when the Going-to-the-Sun Road is open should make their plans soon, Knetemann said. “It’s very, very difficult to find rooms from about mid-July to the end of August.”
The Many Glacier Hotel, in the northeastern area of the park, is the most sought-after stay in the park and comes with the vehicle permit you’ll need to drive the Going-to-the-Sun Road, according to Knetemann.
People who still want to experience the famous landmark road without getting behind the wheel can also make reservations for the fleet of 33 red jammer buses, which Xanterra also operates. Summer reservations aren’t available for those tours yet, however.
Some Rooms in Grand Teton Available
Grand Teton National Park logged its second-busiest year in 2024, welcoming more than 3.6 million visitors, a 6.2% increase from the prior year. While July historically is the busiest month for tourists, there are still reservations available — and even for weekend dates.
That’s true for Jenny Lake Lodge, Colter Bay Village and Jackson Lake Lodge, which are all operated by the Grand Teton Lodge Company, a division of Vail Resorts.
A representative from the company didn’t respond to a request for details by press time.
Other Changes in Store at Yellowstone
Back at Yellowstone, there are some changes in store for visitors this year. The Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel & Cabins historically closed for much of November and December, but this facility will now be open during that time thanks to strong interest and demand, Walton said.
And there’s a renovation underway at the Roosevelt Lodge Cabins in the Tower Falls area of the park. Visitors to the main lodge this summer will find a new whiskey bar fashioned like an old school-style saloon, Walton said. “It’s a really interesting upgrade.”
There will also be some electrical work happening at the marina on Yellowstone Lake this summer, so Walton recommended that visitors planning to bring a boat should check the website in advance for updates.
If all this talk of planning makes you want to avoid the summertime crush at the national parks altogether, the fall is a far less busy period — though reservations may still be warranted.
“Fall bookings are ahead of where they were last year,” Walton said.
