The National Park Service received nearly 300 million visitors during 2021, with 5 million visiting Zion National Park, 4.5 million visiting Grand Canyon National Park, and 3.3 million visiting Yosemite National Park. Summer is peak time for national parks, and while crowds can sometimes be unavoidable, here’s a few tips to manage the crowds at three of our favorite national parks during summer 2022.
The Grand Canyon’s South Rim is very popular during the summer season, and this brings crowds even upon entrance. An alternative to driving is to take the train at Williams, AZ and ride the Grand Canyon Railway to enter the park. This way, you won’t have to deal with traffic. If you do have to arrive by car, try entering through the East Entrance, which has shorter wait times than the South Entrance Station, and easily accessible from Flagstaff, AZ. If arriving through the South Entrance Station is unavoidable, anticipate wait times between 9:30 am and 4pm. You can monitor the lines with the NPS webcam, and time your arrival when it’s least crowded. The park is open 24/7, so try to avoid the lines during peak hours. If you have a National Parks Pass, you can bypass the longer lines and enter through the left in Lane 1, which is dedicated to pass holders.
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Before you go, excited to hike the Insta-worthy trails you’ve been seeing all over the ‘gram, be aware that a few of them require permits. As of April 2022, those who want to hike Angels Landing, now require a permit. Angels Landing is a narrow hike with spectacular views of Zion Canyon at nearly 1500 feet above ground. The hike is destined for thrill seekers not afraid of heights. Due to its popularity, NPS has initiated this pilot permit program to lessen the crowds. Similarly, you may also want to hike the Narrows, where you gain unique views of the sandstone of the Narrows of Zion Canyon while hiking the Virgin River. Grab your Virgin River Narrows permit before you go – the permit system regulates the amount of people hiking, and this 16-mile trip is not for those faint of heart.
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Due to congestion of crowds during the summer, “A reservation will be required to drive into or through Yosemite National Park from May 20 through September 30, 2022, for those driving into the park between 6 am and 4 pm,” reports Yosemite National Park. Reservations are available on recreation.gov and are valid for a three-day period. If you want to beat the crowds, arrive before or after peak time. In addition, similar to Zion National Park, you are required to have a permit to hike to the top of Half Dome. Day hikers can acquire a permit by lottery via recreation.gov, and rest assured, only 300 hikers are allowed per day.
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