What the top ten most visited national parks in the US have said about their plans to reopen, from opening in phases to implementing social distancing guidelines

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What the top ten most visited national parks in the US have said about their plans to reopen, from opening in phases to implementing social distancing guidelines
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Great Smoky Mountains National Park
View of Clingmans Dome observation tower in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Theron Stripling III/Shutterstock

Visitors in 2019: 12.5 million

Location: Tennessee, North Carolina

Top attractions: Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, Foothills Parkway, Clingmans Dome observation deck, Cades Cove, Laurel Falls

Reopening: Great Smoky Mountains National Park reopened select roads, trails, restrooms, and picnic areas on May 9. The park is also issuing backcountry permits, and the LeConte Lodge, the park's official lodging option, will reopen May 18. However, visitor centers and campgrounds remain closed. The park also canceled its popular synchronous firefly viewing event, when shuttles take ticketed visitors to the Elkmont section of the park in late May and early June to witness tens of thousands of fireflies.

See the latest updates on the National Park Service's website >>

Grand Canyon National Park

Grand Canyon National Park
A hiker looks out over the Grand Canyon in Grand Canyon National Park. Shutterstock/Galyna Andrushko

Visitors in 2019: 5.97 million

Location: Arizona

Top attractions: Grand Canyon South Rim, Bright Angel Trail, Grand Canyon North Rim, South Kaibab Trail, Rim Trail

Reopening plans: Grand Canyon National Park has not yet announced plans to reopen. The park, and the section of Highway 64 that runs through the park, closed on April 1 until further notice.

See the latest updates on the National Park Service's website >>

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Rocky Mountain National Park

Rocky Mountain National Park
View of Bear Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park. Sean Xu/Shutterstock

Visitors in 2019: 4.7 million

Location: Colorado

Top attractions: Trail Ridge Road, Emerald Lake Trail, Bear Lake, Old Fall River Road, Alberta Falls

Reopening plans: Rocky Mountain National Park will begin a phased reopening to increase recreational access on May 27. While details of the reopening are still being figured out, so far the park has announced that it will begin issuing wilderness camping permits again, and shuttle bus service within Bear Lake Road corridor will resume with a maximum of 15 passengers per trip. Moraine Park and Glacier Basin campgrounds will also open at half capacity on June 4.

See the latest updates on the National Park Service's website >>

Zion National Park

Zion National Park
View of Zion Canyon in Zion National Park. bjul/Shutterstock

Visitors in 2019: 4.5 million

Location: Utah

Top attractions: The Narrows trail, Angel's Landing trail, Zion Canyon Scenic Drive, Canyon Overlook trail, Observation Point

Reopening plans: Zion National Park will partially reopen for day use beginning May 13 and has waived visitor fees to minimize the potential for disease transmission. Eight trails will reopen; however, no off-trail hiking is permitted and hikers are urged to stay six feet apart. The 6-mile Zion Canyon Scenic Drive will also open, but only private vehicles will be allowed and the drive will temporarily close to visitors when its 400-car parking lot reaches capacity.

See the latest updates on the National Park Service's website >>

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Yosemite National Park

Yosemite National Park
Half Dome seen from Glacier Point outlook in Yosemite National Park. rmbarricarte/Getty Images

Visitors in 2019: 4 million

Location: California

Top attractions: Glacier Point outlook, Yosemite Valley, Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, Half Dome rock formation, Tunnel View outlook

Reopening plans: Yosemite National Park has not yet announced plans to reopen, but says that plans for a phased reopening are in the works. The park closed to visitors on March 20, though it remains open to residents of communities within the park's boundaries.

See the latest updates on the National Park Service's website >>

Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park
View fo the Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park. Lorcel/Shutterstock

Visitors in 2019: 4 million

Location: Wyoming, Montana, Idaho

Top attractions: Lamar Valley, Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Grand Prismatic Spring, Old Faithful geyser, Lower Yellowstone River Falls

Reopening plans: Yellowstone National Park has not yet announced plans to reopen. The park closed to visitors on March 24, though highways that run through and extend beyond the park remain open.

See the latest updates on the National Park Service's website >>

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Acadia National Park

Acadia National Park
View of Bar Harbor from Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park. Zack Frank/Shutterstock

Visitors in 2019: 3.4 million

Location: Maine

Top attractions: Cadillac Mountain, Park Loop Road, Champlain Mountain & Beehive Loop Trail, Jordan Pond, Carriage Roads cycling trail

Reopening plans: Park campgrounds are set to reopen on June 15, pending the status of the pandemic. Hulls Cove, the park's main visitor center, is currently scheduled to reopen on June 1, and Sieur de Monts Visitor Center will reopen June 15. The park's main scenic road, car-free carriage roads, visitor centers, and restrooms have been closed since March 25. Overnight parking is banned for the time being, and Island Explorer shuttle service between the park and nearby Bar Habor is suspended.

See the latest updates on the National Park Service's website >>

Grand Teton National Park

Grand Teton National Park
View of John Moulton Barn at sunrise in Grand Teton National Park, with the Grand Teton peak in the background. Kenny Tong/Shutterstock

Visitors in 2019: 3.4 million

Location: Wyoming

Top attractions: Grand Teton peak, Jenny Lake Trail, Scenic Loop Drive, Chapel of the Transfiguration (a log-cabin-style church built in 1925), Moose Wilson Road

Reopening plans: Grand Teton National Park has not yet announced plans to reopen. The park closed to visitors on March 24, though highways that run through and extend beyond the park remain open.

See the latest updates on the National Park Service's website >>

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Olympic National Park

Olympic National Park
View of Ruby Beach in Olympic National Park. Jason Kolenda/Shutterstock

Visitors in 2019: 3.2 million

Location: Washington

Top attractions: Hurricane Ridge mountain area, Ruby Beach, Hoh Rainforest, Olympic National Forest, Crescent Lake

Reopening plans: The park began a phased reopening on May 5. Some facilities in the area near Barnes Point, a peninsula that juts out into Crescent Lake, and the northern edge of the park have opened for use. When conditions allow, the park may open additional facilities during the day on the park's east side. The park will issue permits for overnight camping in the backcountry only when Washington state permits overnight travel outside of the local area and has said that its westside areas and beaches "will be the last areas to open for day use."

See the latest updates on the National Park Service's website >>

Glacier National Park

Glacier National Park
A red car drives along Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park. EdwinM/Shutterstock

Visitors in 2019: 3 million

Location: Montana

Top attractions: Going-to-the-Sun Road, Grinnell Glacier, Lake McDonald, Avalanche Lake, Highline Trail

Reopening plans: Glacier National Park has not announced plans to reopen yet. The park closed to all visitors on March 27, though the section of US Highway 2 that crosses through the park remains open.

See the latest updates on the National Park Service's website >>

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