Do I need a reservation for Shenandoah?

No. Shenandoah National Park does not require a timed-entry or vehicle reservation to enter in 2026. You still pay the entrance fee ($30 per vehicle) or show an accepted pass.

Is there an entrance fee at Shenandoah?

Yes. A private vehicle pass is $30 per vehicle. An America the Beautiful pass is accepted for the entrance fee, and does not cover any reservation or permit.

Shenandoah reservations & entry requirements, 2026

The 2026 season at Shenandoah

This is what applies across the published season. Use the date checker below for a specific day.

No reservation is required to enter Shenandoah National Park in 2026. Some activities need their own permit.

An entrance fee or accepted pass is required on every visit, separately from anything below.

Park entrance
Required
You must pay the park entrance fee or show an accepted pass.
- Private vehicle: $30, valid for 7 days.
- Motorcycle: $25.
- Per person on foot or bicycle: $15.
- An America the Beautiful pass covers this entrance fee. It does not cover any reservation or permit below.
- The fee is required whether you drive Skyline Drive or hike in from the park boundary. Collected at North (Front Royal), Thornton Gap, Swift Run, and Rockfish Gap entrances, plus the Old Rag and Whiteoak Canyon Falls Lower trailhead stations. Park is cashless (credit/debit only) since July 1, 2025.
Timed entry
Not applicable
Shenandoah National Park has no timed-entry system.
Vehicle, road, or corridor
Not required
Nothing here is required in 2026.
- Old Rag Trailhead main parking lot closed for construction from May 4, 2026. Visitors can still access the Old Rag Trailhead via existing overflow parking lots. Day-use tickets are still required during the closure. NPS gives the end of work as 'November 2026' without a specific date; the end date on this rule is the end of the ticket season, not a published reopening date.
- Skyline Drive requires no reservation - but sections close in bad weather. No timed entry, vehicle reservation, or day-use ticket is needed to drive Skyline Drive - only the entrance fee. Portions of Skyline Drive are periodically closed during inclement weather, most often in winter. Visitors may still enter the park on foot to hike even when Skyline Drive is closed.
Shuttle
Not applicable
Shenandoah National Park has no shuttle system.
Your campground or lodging
Not applicable
Shenandoah National Park has no in-park stay that changes what you need to enter.
Selected activity
Required on some dates
Old Rag Mountain day-use ticket applies during part of 2026.
- Old Rag Mountain day-use ticket
  Dates
  Mar 1, 2026 – Nov 30, 2026
  Hours
  All day
  Fee
  $2
  Opens
  Rolling window · 10 a.m. Eastern Time
  Applies to Old Rag Mountain area, including the Saddle, Ridge, and Ridge Access trails. Weakley Hollow Fire Road and other unhighlighted trails/roads do NOT require a ticket.
  - $2.00 per person per day, in addition to the park entrance fee. Non-refundable - changes are allowed until noon the day before, but no refunds are issued for any reason.
  - Day-use tickets are NOT required in December, January, and February.
  - A ticket is required at any time of day, even before sunrise or after sunset.
  - Every person needs their own ticket regardless of age; a group of four needs four tickets.
  - No fee waivers of any kind are offered, including for Access and Military/Gold Star lifetime pass holders.
  - Tickets are not sold in person at the Old Rag entrance station - there is no internet service there.
  - Backcountry campers need a separate ticket for each day spent in the ticket area.
  - No campground or lodging reservation covers the Old Rag day-use ticket; it is a standalone per-person ticket.
Book on recreation.gov(opens in a new tab)

Fees and passes

Entrance fee rates at Shenandoah National Park
Private vehicle	$30
Motorcycle	$25
Per person, on foot or bicycle	$15
Valid for	7 days
Park annual pass	$55

The fee is required whether you drive Skyline Drive or hike in from the park boundary. Collected at North (Front Royal), Thornton Gap, Swift Run, and Rockfish Gap entrances, plus the Old Rag and Whiteoak Canyon Falls Lower trailhead stations. Park is cashless (credit/debit only) since July 1, 2025.

An America the Beautiful pass is accepted here. It covers the entrance fee only. It does not cover a timed-entry permit, a vehicle reservation, a parking tag, a shuttle ticket, or an activity permit.

A pass covers the entrance fee only. It does NOT cover the Old Rag day-use ticket - NPS states explicitly that even holders of free Access or Military/Gold Star lifetime passes must still reserve an Old Rag ticket, and that no fee waivers of any kind are offered for it.

Fee-free days

Feb 16, 2026
May 25, 2026
Jun 14, 2026
Jul 3, 2026
Jul 4, 2026
Jul 5, 2026
Aug 25, 2026
Sep 17, 2026
Oct 27, 2026
Nov 11, 2026

From 2026 a fee-free day waives the entrance fee for U.S. residents. Other visitors still pay it. A fee-free day never waives a reservation, a permit, or a booking fee unless the park says so.

Rules that apply to one area only

These do not apply to the whole park. Where you go changes the answer.

Old Rag Mountain area, including the Saddle, Ridge, and Ridge Access trails. Weakley Hollow Fire Road and other unhighlighted trails/roads do NOT require a ticket.Old Rag Mountain day-use ticket - required in addition to the entrance fee · Mar 1, 2026 – Nov 30, 2026

What a campground or lodging booking does and does not cover

Shenandoah National Park entrance feeNot covered by an in-park booking. Campground and Skyland/Big Meadows/Lewis Mountain lodging reservations are separate and do not include the entrance fee.
Old Rag Mountain day-use ticket - required in addition to the entrance feeNot covered by an in-park booking. No campground or lodging reservation covers the Old Rag day-use ticket; it is a standalone per-person ticket.

Quick answers

Do I need a reservation for Shenandoah?: No. Shenandoah National Park does not require a timed-entry or vehicle reservation to enter in 2026. You still pay the entrance fee ($30 per vehicle) or show an accepted pass.
Is there an entrance fee at Shenandoah?: Yes. A private vehicle pass is $30 per vehicle. An America the Beautiful pass is accepted for the entrance fee, and does not cover any reservation or permit.

Official links, coverage, and sources

When reservations are released

Shenandoah National Park entrance feeEntrance passes may be purchased online up to one year in advance, or at an entrance station.
Old Rag Mountain day-use ticketReleased on a rolling window. Release time: 10 a.m. Eastern Time. 800 tickets per day. 400 are released 30 days before the hike date and the remaining 400 are released 5 days before, both at 10:00 a.m. Tickets for the season first become available the first week of February. Leftovers may remain bookable same-day. NPS states '10:00 a.m.' without naming a time zone; park local time is Eastern.

Official booking and park information

Book Old Rag Mountain day-use ticketrecreation.gov(opens in a new tab)$2 permit fee
Official park alerts and conditionsnps.gov(opens in a new tab)Alerts override anything on this page.
Official fees and passesnps.gov(opens in a new tab)

What this does not cover

Road, weather, and fire closures that change day to day. Check the park’s alerts page.
Backcountry and wilderness permits beyond the headline permits listed above.
Commercial use authorizations, filming permits, and group-size rules.
Availability. We tell you what is required, not whether anything is left.

Effective dates and sources

Fees and passesNational Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to Park entranceYou are required to pay an entrance fee in order to access Shenandoah National Park, whether you're driving on Skyline Drive or hiking in from the boundary. ... Private Vehicle $30.00 Unlimited entry for one vehicle and all passengers for seven consecutive days.
Fees & Passes - Shenandoah National ParkNational Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to Shenandoah National Park entrance feeAll visitors must have one of these entrance passes: Standard Pass $15.00-$30.00; Annual Pass $55.00; America the Beautiful Pass FREE-$250.00. Plan to go cashless. This park does not accept cash.
Old Rag Day-Use Ticket - Shenandoah National ParkNational Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to Old Rag Mountain day-use ticketTickets cost $2.00 and can be reserved up to 30 days in advance. A total of 800 tickets will be available each day from March 1 to November 30; 400 will be released 30 days in advance and the remaining 400 will be released five days in advance.
Old Rag Day-Use Ticket - Shenandoah National ParkNational Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to Old Rag Trailhead main parking lot closedEffective May 4, 2026, Shenandoah National Park will begin infrastructure enhancements at the Old Rag Trailhead main parking lot. We expect to complete work by November 2026. Until then, the main parking lot is closed to all vehicle and pedestrian traffic.
Operating Dates & Hours - Shenandoah National ParkNational Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to Skyline Drive requires no reservationShenandoah National Park is always open, however, portions of Skyline Drive, the only public road through the Park, are periodically closed during inclement weather. Visitors may still enter the Park on foot to hike even when Skyline Drive is closed.

Something wrong here?

Park rules change, sometimes at short notice. If a line on this page does not match what the park publishes, tell us and we will fix it and re-check the source.

corrections@nationalparkentry.com· Last factual change 2026-08-05 · Sources last reviewed 2026-07-26

Nearest other national parks

Chosen by distance from Shenandoah, not by editorial preference.

Shenandoah National Park entry requirements