With summer almost upon us, Americans are itching to get out of their homes and into the nation's best beaches, parks, and campgrounds. Sure, you can take a virtual tour of a national park or watch Old Faithful erupt via livestream, but it just hasn't been the same. Luckily, details have started to emerge on which national parks will reopen this summer and when.
While dates are not set in stone as national parks contend with how to keep their employees and visitors safe during the usually packed summer season, it seems that the NPS is prepping to open at least some lodging this summer—though we probably won't see them operating at full capacity for some time.
"That is a horizon date targeted at opening limited overnight accommodations, only visitor cabins initially, not hotels," Yellowstone Superintendent Cam Sholly told National Parks Traveler.
Yellowstone, for example, has committed to open some lodging on June 15, though exactly how much space will be available is unknown. Sholly also added that the park itself may be open before that date.
Here's what else we currently know about which national parks will open for overnight stays this summer and when:
Badlands: Lodging currently open
Big Bend: TBD
Bryce Canyon: Some lodging to open June 1
Crater Lake: Some lodging to open May 15
Death Valley: Some lodging to open June 15
Glacier: Lodging to open starting June 15
Grand Canyon: Lodgings to open between May 15 and June 15
Grand Teton: Some lodging to open June 5
Isle Royale: Some lodging to open June 26
Kings Canyon: Lodging to open May 22
Mammoth Cave: TBD
Mesa Verde: Some lodging to open May 24
Sequoia: Some lodging to open May 22
Shenandoah: Some lodging to open June 11
Olympic: Lodgings to open between May 22 and June 12
Mount Rainier: Some lodging to open May 16
Yellowstone: Some lodging to open June 15
Yosemite: Some lodging to open May 15
Zion: Some lodging to open May 22
It's probably best to set an alarm on your calendar, because with limited lodging, space will go even faster than normal this year.