Current NPCheck data from the same park directory used by the interactive guide.
| Park | State | Status | Current details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arches National Park | Utah | situational | Timed entry required April through October (7 AM–4 PM) |
| Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park | Colorado | not_needed | Black Canyon of the Gunnison is accessed by private vehicle on the South Rim Drive (paved, open year-round) or the North Rim Road (open late May through mid-November). No shuttle service operates within the park. All major overlooks along the 6-mile South Rim Drive are roadside pull-offs. |
| Bryce Canyon National Park | Utah | recommended | Mid-April through mid-October (shuttle season; private vehicles allowed year-round) |
| Canyonlands National Park | Utah | not_needed | Canyonlands has three districts (Island in the Sky, The Needles, The Maze) with no connecting roads inside the park. Each is accessed by a separate paved road by private vehicle. The Maze district requires a high-clearance 4WD vehicle and is one of the most remote destinations in the American Southwest. |
| Capitol Reef National Park | Utah | not_needed | Capitol Reef National Park is accessed by private vehicle along UT-24 (which passes directly through the park) and the Scenic Drive. Most viewpoints and trailheads are roadside on paved roads; Cathedral Valley and some backcountry areas require high-clearance 4WD. |
| Cedar Breaks National Monument | Utah | not_needed | |
| Channel Islands National Park | California | required | Year-round for Santa Cruz Island; Santa Rosa, Anacapa, and Santa Barbara seasonally; San Miguel primarily summer |
| Crater Lake National Park | Oregon | not_needed | Trolley and Boat Tours Choose a trolley or boat tour and enjoy the sights worry-free with an added bonus of a ranger's perspective. |
| Death Valley National Park | California/Nevada | not_needed | Death Valley National Park spans over 3.4 million acres and is accessed almost entirely by private vehicle. Major attractions (Badwater Basin, Artist's Drive, Zabriskie Point, Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes) are all roadside stops. No shuttle service exists. A vehicle with reliable air conditioning and extra water is strongly recommended. |
| Glacier National Park | Montana | recommended | Mid-July through early September (when GTSR is fully open to vehicles) |
| Grand Canyon National Park | Arizona | recommended | Year-round (all routes); Hermit Rest Route operates March through November |
| Grand Teton National Park | Wyoming | situational | Early June through late September (boat shuttle season) |
| Great Basin National Park | Nevada | not_needed | Great Basin National Park in remote eastern Nevada is accessed by private vehicle via US-6/US-50 and NV-487 to Baker, NV. The Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive (paved to 10,000 ft elevation) leads to campgrounds and trailheads. Lehman Caves tours are timed-entry but visitors drive themselves. |
| Joshua Tree National Park | California | not_needed | Joshua Tree National Park is accessed by private vehicle from three entrance stations (North Entrance and West Entrance near the town of Joshua Tree, and Cottonwood Spring from I-10). All major attractions — Hidden Valley, Skull Rock, Keys View, Cholla Cactus Garden — are roadside or short walks from parking areas. |
| Kings Canyon National Park | California | not_needed | Kings Canyon National Park's two main areas — Grant Grove and Cedar Grove — are accessed by private vehicle on CA-180. Grant Grove is open year-round; Kings Canyon Scenic Byway (to Cedar Grove and Roads End) is open approximately May through November. No shuttle service serves Kings Canyon. |
| Lassen Volcanic National Park | California | not_needed | Lassen Volcanic National Park is accessed by private vehicle along CA-89 (Lassen Volcanic National Park Highway), which passes through the park and is typically open June through October. The Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center, Bumpass Hell, Lassen Peak trailhead, and Manzanita Lake are all roadside stops. No park-operated shuttle is currently available. |
| Mesa Verde National Park | Colorado | not_needed | Mesa Verde National Park is accessed by private vehicle off US-160 near Cortez and Mancos, CO. The Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum, Cliff Palace overlooks, and Wetherill Mesa are accessible by car on the park road. Cliff Palace and Balcony House tours require timed tickets, but visitors drive to the trailheads themselves. |
| Mount Rainier National Park | Washington | situational | Peak season: July through September; vehicle reservations required on high-demand days |
| Natural Bridges National Monument | Utah | not_needed | |
| Petrified Forest National Park | Arizona | not_needed | Petrified Forest National Park is accessed by private vehicle on the 28-mile park road that connects I-40 at the north entrance to US-180 at the south entrance. All major viewpoints — including Painted Desert Rim, Blue Mesa, and Crystal Forest — are roadside pull-offs. |
| Pinnacles National Park | California | not_needed | Pinnacles National Park has two separate entrances — East (Hollister side, with main visitor center and campground) and West (Soledad side) — that are not connected by road through the park interior. Each entrance is accessed by private vehicle. No shuttle service connects the two sides. Most visitors choose one side per day. |
| Redwood National Park | California | not_needed | Redwood National and State Parks span 40 miles of Northern California coast, accessible by US-101 and various spur roads. Prairie Creek, Del Norte Coast, and Jedediah Smith are the primary units. The Tall Trees Grove requires a free vehicle permit to limit traffic. No NPS shuttle operates across the park. |
| Rocky Mountain National Park | Colorado | situational | Late May through mid-October (Bear Lake Road timed entry and shuttle season) |
| Saguaro National Park | Arizona | not_needed | Saguaro National Park has two separate districts — Rincon Mountain (East) and Tucson Mountain (West) — on opposite sides of Tucson, AZ. Each is accessed by private vehicle. The Bajada Loop Drive (west) and Cactus Forest Loop Drive (east) are the primary scenic routes. No shuttle service exists between or within districts. |
| Sequoia National Park | California | recommended | Late May through Labor Day (Sequoia Shuttle season) |
| Theodore Roosevelt National Park | North Dakota | not_needed | Theodore Roosevelt National Park's South Unit (Medora, accessible from I-94) and North Unit (near Watford City, on US-85) are both accessed by private vehicle. The South and North Unit Scenic Drives are the primary visitor routes for wildlife viewing. No shuttle service exists. |
| White Sands National Park | New Mexico | not_needed | White Sands National Park is accessed by private vehicle via US-70 between Alamogordo and Las Cruces, NM. The 16-mile Dunes Drive (round-trip) is the primary route through the white gypsum dunes. No shuttle service exists. Note that US-70 periodically closes for missile range tests — check alerts before visiting. |
| Wind Cave National Park | South Dakota | not_needed | Wind Cave National Park in the South Dakota Black Hills is accessed by private vehicle via US-385. The visitor center and cave tour departure point are accessible by car. Cave tours require timed tickets (book in advance). The above-ground prairie and bison wildlife drive are also accessible by private vehicle. No shuttle exists. |
| Yellowstone National Park | Wyoming | not_needed | Yellowstone National Park is toured almost exclusively by private vehicle. The Grand Loop Road and connecting spurs provide access to Old Faithful, Mammoth Hot Springs, Grand Prismatic Spring, Lamar Valley, and all major geothermal features. Wildlife jams on the road are common and can cause significant delays. |
| Yosemite National Park | California | recommended | Valley shuttle: year-round (reduced winter frequency); Tuolumne Meadows shuttle: summer only; Mariposa Grove shuttle: spring through fall |
| Zion National Park | Utah | required | Late March through late November (exact dates announced each spring) |