Over 300 million people visit sites managed by the National Park Service (NPS) every year. In the past, the agency has done its best to manage and control visitors to popular parks and monuments. Long lines at entry and parking lot snafus can easily affect people’s experiences. Large crowds also have a greater physical impact on these protected natural places.
Recently, however, the NPS made several changes to make it easier to explore certain areas of national parks. It’s a controversial move that has garnered support from some and vehement opposition from others. While the new rules will expand access, they will also put more pressure on these sensitive areas and potentially cause more congestion in already heavily trafficked and understaffed parks.
Here’s what you need to know.
What’s Changed for National Park Visitors?
National Parks
For years, the NPS has mandated timed entry reservations at certain popular national parks. You go online ahead of your visit and reserve a day and time to enter the park. This program aimed to manage overcrowding and reduce strain on park staff and services.
On Feb. 18, the NPS announced it would abandon timed entry reservations at three popular parks — Yosemite, Arches, and Glacier. In 2024, these parks received 4.1, 1.4, and 3.2 million visitors, respectively. Yosemite and Glacier are consistently in the top ten most visited parks. Without a timed-entry system, those numbers are likely to increase even more.
Timed-entry reservations will continue at Rocky Mountain National Park.
Cumberland Island National Seashore
In addition to the parks, the NPS manages a whole host of other sites, including national seashores, lakeshores, monuments, and historic sites. Some of the visitation rules for these public lands have also changed.
Cumberland Island National Seashore encompasses 18 miles of beach that lies off the coast of Georgia. It has been limited to 300 visitors per day since the 1980s.
In a new Visitor Use Management Plan (VUMP) for 2026, the NPS is proposing expanding that number to over 700. It recommends increasing ferry schedules and routes (since ferries are the only way to get to the island), establishing new campgrounds, building new concessions, and allowing e-bikes in wilderness areas. This change has yet to become official, but is under consideration.
Cumberland Island saw 64,700 visitors in 2024.
The Visitation Debate: Upsides & Downsides
Upsides
If you’ve ever gone to recreation.gov to get a timed-entry slot, campsite, or backpacking permit for a national park, you know what a pain the site can be. Sometimes, whether you get your desired reservation seems entirely a matter of luck. You can time it just right, and still miss out. Removing timed entry requirements for parks like Yosemite and Glacier would make those headaches a thing of the past.
The NPS is framing these changes as part of its efforts to make the parks more accessible to everyone.
“Our national parks belong to the American people, and our priority is keeping them open and accessible,” Kevin Lilly, Acting Assistant Secretary for Fish, Wildlife and Parks, explained in a press release. “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.”
Increased visitor numbers also mean that local businesses and services will benefit economically. National parks can be major drivers of spending. Visitors to national parks spent $26.4 billion in 2023 alone.
Looking at the case of Cumberland Island, increasing the daily number of visitors from 300 to 700 will benefit a variety of stakeholders: ferry operators, concessionaires, bike-and-boat rental businesses, and private guiding companies.
More visitors typically means more money for the NPS itself. Visitors will either pay the entry fee or purchase and use an America the Beautiful Pass, which goes directly to NPS. The money is used for park maintenance, operational fees, staff salaries, and more.
Downsides
National parks are beloved, and there’s a reason these timed-entry systems existed in the first place. Especially in summer and during holidays, parks can become a zoo, with entry lines stretching for miles. Some days, finding a parking spot can seem like a miracle.
In February, Yosemite National Park reported huge crowds to view its famous “firefall,” where Horsetail Waterfall turns into a brilliant glowing orange spout as sunlight refracts through it. SF Gate reported massive gridlock at the park as visitors flocked to witness the spectacular sight. It was the first year since NPS scrapped its reservation system for the firefall, which it had operated in years past.
Groups like the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) opposed the changes to timed-entry.
“Eliminating Yosemite’s seasonal reservation system will undoubtedly lead to hours-long traffic jams, damage to park resources, strain on remaining park staff, and ruined experiences for visitors,” NPCA’s Senior Sierra Nevada Program Manager Mark Rose said in a statement.
Part of the objection stems from the fact that parks will have to manage this influx of visitors with reduced staff. In 2025, Department of the Interior (DOI) Secretary Doug Burgum laid off over 2,000 employees. Many of those positions remain unfilled, and national parks across the country are struggling with understaffing issues as a result.
In its press release, the NPS said it is working to “strengthen its seasonal staffing and operational readiness” for Arches, Yosemite, Rocky Mountain, and Glacier. Only time will tell if staffing is adequate to handle the number of visitors.
Some groups also worry about the environmental impact of increased tourism.
“This proposal would represent a significant change in Island management and, if not implemented correctly, could strain NPS human resources and impact the Island’s natural resources, especially in the Wilderness area,” nonprofit Georgia Conservancy said in its public comment about the proposed VUMP plan for Cumberland Island.
“Overall, we find the plan’s evaluation of potential impacts to the species and/or ecosystems within the Seashore to be both indifferent and dismissive,” Wild Cumberland said in its public comment.
How This Affects Your Trip
Without timed entry slots, visiting these parks during peak season might be easier and more difficult at the same time. It will require less planning and forethought, but it could mean dealing with larger crowds and greater traffic.
You might try visiting during the shoulder seasons and on weekdays instead of during peak visitation times. It also doesn’t hurt to avoid federal holidays, when national park visitation rates spike. Yosemite and Glacier are most popular from mid-June through August, and Arches hits its peak around April (usually during spring break) and in the summer months. Avoid these busy times to visit and minimize your risk of being crowded.
When it comes to visiting Cumberland Island (for now at least), that 300-person cap still applies. So be sure to reserve your ferry slot online in advance.
