National parks of the American West: which one to choose?

With one week, choose a single group of parks: Zion, Bryce Canyon and the Grand Canyon, or Yosemite and Sequoia, or Yellowstone and Grand Teton. With two weeks, you cover one group in full. With three, you link two of them. In every case, two things are settled before you leave: the annual pass, now $250 for foreign visitors, and the reservations that open on a fixed date.

Which national park in the American West to choose according to your time

The parks of the West fall into groups by region, and each region takes several days. As a guide, our itineraries allow three days for Yosemite, four for Yellowstone and five nights in Moab for Arches and Canyonlands.

Group of parks	What you find there	For how long	Best months
Zion, Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon	Sandstone canyons, hikes along ledges and in the water	1 to 2 weeks	May to October
Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon	Granite, waterfalls, giant sequoias	1 week	May to July for the waterfalls
Arches, Canyonlands, Mesa Verde	Arches, plateaus, cliff dwellings	1 week	May, June, September, October
Yellowstone, Grand Teton	Geysers, hot springs, wildlife	1 week	June to September
Death Valley, Joshua Tree	Deserts	3 to 4 days	October to April

According to your time:

• One week: a single group, without trying to add another.
• Two weeks: Zion, Bryce and the Grand Canyon, rounded out with Capitol Reef, Monument Valley and Antelope Canyon, which our Grand Southwest in 12 days sets out in detail.
• Three weeks: two neighboring groups, for example the canyons of Utah and Arizona then Arches and Canyonlands.

These lengths are suggestions: Étaperia does not sell any tour of one, two or three weeks, only itineraries by region. For the sequence of stops, see the road trip in the American West.

America the Beautiful pass: $250 for a foreign visitor

The $80 annual pass still exists, but it is reserved for US citizens and residents, who must prove it: US passport, a state driving license or Green Card. At the time of writing, in October 2026, the National Park Service website shows two prices:

• $80 for the resident annual pass;
• $250 for the non-resident annual pass, which covers the holder and the passengers in their vehicle.

On top of that comes a surcharge of $100 per person, owed by each non-resident aged 16 and over in addition to normal entry, in eleven parks. Nine are in the West:

• Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon;
• Zion, Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon;
• Yellowstone, Grand Teton;
• Rocky Mountain, Glacier.

This surcharge does not apply if you enter with an annual pass. So the sum is quick. Entry to Yellowstone costs $35 per vehicle: two foreign adults without a pass pay $235 there. As the surcharge is owed in each of the parks on the list, they exceed the price of the pass from the second one. On the other hand, for a trip limited to Death Valley, Joshua Tree and Arches, at $30 per vehicle each, the $250 pass does not pay for itself.

Watch out: These prices date from 2026 and the rule is recent. Check them again on the passes page of nps.gov before costing your trip, and keep the sum in mind in your budget for the United States.

Compulsory reservations and permits: what is decided before you leave

Almost everything is booked on recreation.gov, at a precise date and time. The dates below are those of the 2026 season, noted in October 2026. Those for 2027 had not been published: they serve as a guide, not a calendar.

Park	What you need to book	When
Rocky Mountain	Timed entry from 9:00 to 14:00, from May 22 to October 12 in 2026. Separate permit for Bear Lake Road, from 5:00 to 18:00. $2 fee	On the 1st of the previous month at 8:00 Mountain Time. A second batch the day before at 19:00
Zion	Permit for Angels Landing: $6 for the application, then $3 per person	Seasonal lottery from April 1 to 20 for the summer, or day-before lottery, closing at 15:00
Yosemite	No timed entry in 2026	To be checked again for 2027
Arches	Fiery Furnace: $16 with a ranger, $10 as an individual permit, per person	As soon as the slots open
Mesa Verde	Guided tours of the cliff dwellings	14 days ahead, at 8:00
Yellowstone, Grand Teton	Accommodation and campsites in the parks	Up to 13 months ahead
All parks	Campsites	About 6 months ahead, 5 for Yosemite Valley

Three useful details:

• Zion: from March to November, the canyon road is closed to cars. The shuttle is free, with no ticket or reservation.
• Angels Landing: without a permit, the trail remains open as far as Scout Lookout, before the ridge fitted with chains.
• Arches: the park’s website did not announce any timed entry in October 2026, but warns that entry may be delayed on busy days.

Tip: Note the opening time in the park’s time zone, not your own. Summer slots go within minutes, and the parks often have no signal at all: save your confirmations before you arrive.

Which season for the parks of the West: snow or heat

At altitude, snow closes the roads. In the deserts, it is summer that is the problem.

• Yellowstone: in 2026, the roads opened in sections between April 17 and May 22, with closure set for October 31, and as early as the 12th for the highest passes. Only the road between the north entrance and the north-east entrance stays open all year. The park is at 7,850 ft (2,400 meters): frost is possible at night in any season.
• Yosemite: Tioga Road generally opens in late May or in June, Glacier Point Road in May. Both close in November. The waterfalls are at their peak from May to July.
• Grand Canyon: the South Rim is open all year. The North Rim was only open from May 15 to October 15 in 2026.
• Rocky Mountain: Trail Ridge Road only opens from late May to mid-October, depending on the snow.
• Arches and Canyonlands: above 104 °F (40 °C) in summer, with no shade or water on the trails. Walk at dawn.
• Death Valley: above 113 °F (45 °C) by day in summer. The park is visited from October to April.
• Zion, Bryce, Grand Canyon: monsoon thunderstorms in the afternoon in July and August, above 104 °F (40 °C) at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.

Watch out: A trail can close without notice. In the Grand Canyon, the North Kaibab Trail was closed along its full length after a flood on August 29, 2026. Check each park’s alerts page the day before.

For the rest of the country, the calendar is in when to go to the United States.

So, which national park to choose in the American West?

• You are traveling in July or August: Yellowstone and Grand Teton, or Yosemite. Forget the deserts.
• You are traveling in May, June, September or October: Zion, Bryce and the Grand Canyon, or Arches and Canyonlands.
• You are traveling between November and March: Death Valley and Joshua Tree, and the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.
• You are visiting at least two parks on the surcharge list: buy the $250 pass.
• You are aiming for Angels Landing or Rocky Mountain: note the opening date before booking your flights.

If you are leaning towards the north, our Yellowstone and Great Plains itinerary in 14 days gives the detail day by day. The other regions are on the United States page.