Mountain West national parks
7 Mountain West national parks are spread across 3 states, from Glacier National Park in the west to Great Sand Dunes National Park in the east.
Rocky Mountain National Park is the only Mountain West national park with a park-wide reservation on Recreation.gov, so it is the one to book before you drive; no other park in the Mountain West sells one there.
Driving between these parks
3 of them form one chain in which every park is within a 4-hour drive of another in the group: Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Great Sand Dunes, and Mesa Verde.
| From | To | Distance | Estimated drive |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Teton National Park | Yellowstone National Park | 56.7 mi (91.2 km) | 1 hr 48 min |
| Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park | Mesa Verde National Park | 105 mi (169 km) | 2 hr 56 min |
| Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park | Great Sand Dunes National Park | 130 mi (209 km) | 3 hr 31 min |
Drive times come from straight-line distance and a road-circuity factor, not from a routing service, so use them to sort options rather than to plan an arrival time.
What to book before you go
Recreation.gov lists 7 permits or lotteries, 1 guided tour, 2 road or area reservations, and 1 park-wide entry booking for Mountain West national parks, and each park's own page carries its full list.
Recreation.gov lists 32 campgrounds at 7 Mountain West parks, one of which never takes reservations.
First-come sites never show up as bookable inventory, so a park that reads as full online can still have space for someone who arrives early.
When to go
All 7 Mountain West national parks share one window: July through mid-September, once the high country is clear of snow.
Afternoon thunderstorms build fast above treeline in summer. Start early and be off exposed ridges by early afternoon.
All 7 Mountain West national parks
| Park | Where | Best window | Book ahead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park | CO | July through mid-September, once the high country is clear of snow | Permit or reservation |
| Glacier National Park | MT | July through mid-September, once the high country is clear of snow | Permit or reservation |
| Grand Teton National Park | WY | July through mid-September, once the high country is clear of snow | Permit or reservation |
| Great Sand Dunes National Park | CO | July through mid-September, once the high country is clear of snow | Permit or reservation |
| Mesa Verde National Park | CO | July through mid-September, once the high country is clear of snow | Guided tour ticket |
| Rocky Mountain National Park | CO | July through mid-September, once the high country is clear of snow | Park entry |
| Yellowstone National Park | WY | July through mid-September, once the high country is clear of snow | Permit or reservation |
Go state by state
Each state page lists that state's parks and the towns closest to them, which is the quicker route when you already know where you are starting from.
Other U.S. regions
Common questions
Do any Mountain West national parks need a reservation just to get in?
Rocky Mountain National Park (Timed Entry) is the only Mountain West national park selling a park-wide reservation on Recreation.gov. Entry rules are set park by park and change between years, so check the park's own site for your dates.
Which two Mountain West national parks are closest together?
Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park are the closest pair in the Mountain West, roughly 1 hr 48 min apart by road.
When is the best time to visit the Mountain West?
Every national park in the Mountain West is best July through mid-September, once the high country is clear of snow, with shoulder weeks in late June and late September.
How many campgrounds do Mountain West national parks have?
Mountain West national parks have 32 campgrounds on Recreation.gov, one of which is first-come only and never appears as bookable inventory.
Which states this covers
The Mountain West on this site means Colorado, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming.
The Census Bureau Mountain division without Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah.