Planning a National Park Visit Amid the Coronavirus Pandemic? Here's What You Need to Know

But like many things in the age of coronavirus, visits to most national parks look different this year, with restrictions and limited activities to promote social distancing and protect both staff and visitors. The rules – as well as which parks and what facilities are open or closed – can change on a daily basis, so it's important to check before you trek to any national park site.

Some are open by reservation only. Many offer online ticket purchases and reservations through Recreation.gov, as well as other options to limit in-person contact.

More than 327 million people visited national parks sites last year.

Here's what to know if you plan a trip to any of the 10 most popular national parks this summer. Note that all information was compiled from park websites, which are recommended as the best source for the most current information.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

The most popular national park in the country saw 12.5 million visitors last year. The Smokies, spanning the border of Tennessee and North Carolina, are easily accessible by car and offer experiences for all ages and abilities.

Visitor centers are open, including the favorites at Clingmans Dome and Cades Cove, but most of the park's campgrounds remain closed. Trails and backcountry campsites are open with reduced capacity limits.

LeConte Lodge, Sugarlands Riding Stables, Cades Cove Riding Stables, Cades Cove Campstore and Smokemont Riding Stables are open. Smoky Mountain Riding Stables will remain closed.

Outside organizations that lead programs at the park have also made some changes. Summer camps at the Great Smoky Mountain Institute at Tremont are canceled, and those wishing to hike with the Friends of the Smokies must provide their own transportation.

You can find the latest updates for Great Smoky here.

Grand Canyon National Park

Arizona's Grand Canyon National Park is the second-favorite among NPS visitors, but gets only about half as many each year as Great Smoky.

Grand Canyon is located in a state with one of the biggest recent surges in coronavirus cases in the country and is just one example of a location where visitors have to be not just cognizant of park rules, but also those in surrounding areas. For example, Coconino County, home to Flagstaff and a popular stopover for Grand Canyon visitors, has a face mask requirement for all residents and tourists as do areas controlled by the Navajo Nation.

Desert View and the park's east entrance remain closed. The South Rim entrance is now open 24 hours a day, but shuttle bus service is suspended until further notice.

Visitor centers and museums remain closed throughout the park except for Verkamp's Visitor Center on the South Rim, which is open from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. All interpretive park ranger programs are canceled.

Several lodging facilities are open, including the Grand Canyon Railway and Hotel. Food service is limited throughout the park. The Trailer Village RV Park is also open, while the RV and campers center that provides laundry, shower and food services is not.

Entrance fees can be paid at automated machines onsite, through nearby third-party vendors, or online through Recreation.gov.

You can find the latest Grand Canyon updates here.

Rocky Mountain National Park

Located in Estes Park, Colorado, Rocky Mountain National Park is operating on a timed-entry reservation process. Reservation windows open for each month on a rolling basis.

Each private vehicle entering the park must have a reservation for each day the vehicle will be in the park. Reservations and more information can be found at Recreation.gov.

According to the park's website: "This system will more safely manage the pace and flow of visitor use, reduce crowding and provide an improved visitor experience commensurate with the park’s safe operational capacity."

The initial phase of reopening, which started June 4, limits daily entrance to 60% of capacity, or about 4,800 vehicles.

Shuttle buses are operating at 20% of capacity, or about 15 riders at a time.

Rangers are stationed outside visitor centers to answer questions, and some of the stores inside the centers have reopened.

Rocky Mountain is the third most popular national park, with about 4.7 million visitors per year.

The latest updates on park operations can be found here.

Zion National Park

Utah's Zion National Park is the fourth most popular in the U.S., with 4.5 million visitors last year.

The park's shuttle service recently reopened. Tickets must be purchased in advance online at Recreation.gov and are booked for specific times. Time slots open on a rolling basis for the following month. For example, tickets for August will be available starting July 16.

Tickets may also be purchased 24 hours in advance on a space-available basis.

The Kolob Canyons Area, Scenic Drive and visitor center are closed to traffic.

The latest updates for Zion National Park can be found here.

Yosemite National Park

Tucked away in California's Yosemite Valley and known for its waterfalls and towering walls of granite, like Half Dome, this park also had 4.5 million visitors last year.

Yosemite's relatively small central area gets extremely crowded in the peak months, and the park is operating on a reservations-only basis. Reservations open on the first of the month for the following month and can be purchased at Recreation.gov. Each pass is good for seven consecutive days, but you must arrive on the day you reserved.

"Initially, the park is limiting vehicles to 3,600 per day, which is about a 50% reduction compared to June 2019," according to the Yosemite website. "The limit is based on the number of parking spaces available in the park. The number of vehicles permitted to enter the park may change as conditions change. The day-use reservation system has been designed to be flexible and adaptive to conditions related to the COVID-19 pandemic."

Upper Pines Campground and Wawona Horse Camp are open by reservation only and with some capacity restrictions. The other campgrounds are closed, as are visitor centers and museums.

Earlier this year, 170 visitors to Yosemite were stricken with a stomach illness unrelated to COVID-19.

You can find the latest updates on Yosemite here.

Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park and the famous Old Faithful geyser attracted about 4 million visitors last year, and the park remains extremely popular, even in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

According to statistics posted on the park's website, nearly the same number of people visited this year between June 16 and 29 as did during the same period in 2019.

(MORE: Yellowstone Visitor Injured by Bison | And Grizzly Bear)

The park's footprint touches three states – Idaho, Montana and Wyoming – so it's important to check current rules and restrictions for whichever areas you'll travel through to get there.

Visitor centers and most of the park's hotels are closed, including those around Old Faithful and Mammoth Springs. Cabins and camping are open at several locations.

You can find the latest updates on Yellowstone here.

Acadia National Park

Acadia National Park is in Maine, where travelers from most other states are required to either test negative for COVID-19 or quarantine for 14 days.

The Island Explorer bus service in the park and surrounding communities has been suspended indefinitely and campgrounds remain closed.

The Hulls Cove Visitor Center is open with rangers stationed outside to answer questions and provide assistance.

You can find the latest updates on Acadia here.

Grand Teton National Park

Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park is adjacent to Yellowstone and many visitors opt to check off both in one trip.

Some visitor centers and ranger stations are open in the park, but exhibits are closed. There are no ranger programs currently scheduled.

Park waters are open for boating. Campgrounds are also open, while other lodging and food service is limited.

You can find the latest updates on Grand Teton here.

Olympic National Park

Olympic National Park sits in northern Washington near the Canadian border.

Parking lots, trails and beaches at La Push and Shi Shi Beach are closed.

Overnight camping in the coastal wilderness is suspended until further notice and the Deer Park and Sol Duc campgrounds are closed.

Lodges and resorts are open, with some food services and amenities restricted to guests only.

Kayak, canoe and paddleboard rentals are available at Lake Crescent Lodge and Log Cabin Resort, but boat tours will not be offered this season.

Backpacking is allowed with permits purchased in advance at Recreation.gov. Group sizes are limited to 12 people or fewer.

You can find the latest updates on Olympic here.

Glacier National Park

The east side of Montana's Glacier National Park, from the Continental Divide to the park's boundary, is closed. The west side of the park is mostly open.

The park's website advises visitors to be aware of temporary closures in some areas due to congestion or full parking lots.

Fish Creek Campground is open, but most others are expected to remain closed for the season.

Lake McDonald is the only lake open for boating, but tours and rentals are suspended. Bus tours are also not operating.

The Rising Sun Motor Inn and Two Dog Flats restaurant, Many Glacier Hotel and Swiftcurrent Motor Inn and Campstore will not open this year, and food service is limited throughout the park.

Backcountry permits are available on a first-come, first-served basis and must be obtained in person.

Find the latest updates on Glacier here.

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