Planning guide
Waterfall permits and reservations calendar
Which US waterfalls need a permit, timed ticket or reservation, when each one opens for booking, and what it cost in 2026, from Havasu to Multnomah.
Most US waterfalls need nothing more than a parking fee or a park pass. A handful need a permit, a timed ticket or a reservation, and a few sell out months ahead. This page lists those falls, when each one opens for booking and what it cost in 2026. Every fact here matches the waterfall's own page, which cites the official booking site and shows the date we checked it.
Which waterfalls need a permit or reservation?
These are the falls in our guide where you need to book something before you go. A park entrance pass or a parking fee alone doesn't count here.
| Waterfall | What you need | When it applies | 2026 cost | How far ahead | Book at |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Havasu Falls and Mooney Falls, AZ | 3-night reservation; no day hiking | All visits | $455 per person (campground) or $2,277 per lodge room | One sale a year; it opened February 1 in 2026 | havasupaireservations.com |
| Fossil Creek Waterfall, AZ | Per-vehicle parking reservation for a named lot | April 1 to October 1 | $6 per vehicle | Book on Recreation.gov before you drive | Recreation.gov |
| Multnomah Falls, OR | Timed-use permit for the I-84 Exit 31 lot | May 22 to September 7, 2026, 9am to 6pm | $2 online fee per vehicle | Released 14 days and 2 days ahead, 7am Pacific | Recreation.gov |
| Cedar Creek Falls, CA | Permit for the holder and up to 4 others | All year | $6 on Recreation.gov (a Forest Service page lists $10) | Next year's permits open December 1 | Recreation.gov |
| Kanarra Falls, UT | Per-person ticket; 200 a day on the official site | All year | $15 per person | Often sold out about a month ahead in April to October | kanarrafalls.com |
| Hanakāpīʻai Falls, HI | Hāʻena State Park reservation for non-residents | All year | $5 entry per person, plus parking or a shuttle fare | Opens 30 days ahead at 12am Hawaii time | gohaena.com |
| Cummins Falls, TN | Gorge Access Permit to enter the gorge or reach the base | Whenever the gorge is open | $6 or $7; 2026 price not confirmed | Daily cap; sales end at 4 p.m. | Tennessee State Parks reservations |
| Lulumahu Falls, HI | DLNR day permit | Every visit | $2.50 processing fee | Buy online before you go | trails.ehawaii.gov |
| Ruby Falls, TN | Timed-entry ticket, online only | All year | $29.95 adult Cave Walk | Popular slots sell out | rubyfalls.com |
Two of these pages carry an Unconfirmed status: Kanarra Falls and Lulumahu Falls. Check those pages for what we could not confirm before you book.
When to book: the 2026 calendar
Booking windows differ a lot. Havasupai sells a year's permits in one sale. Multnomah releases each day's permits 14 days ahead and again 2 days ahead. Hāʻena State Park opens 30 days ahead. Cedar Creek Falls opens a whole calendar year on December 1.
Havasu Falls and Mooney Falls
Every visitor needs a reservation from the Havasupai Tribe, and the NPS says no day hiking is allowed. All bookings are 4 days and 3 nights. Mooney Falls is covered by the same reservation. In 2026 a campground permit cost $455 per person, and a lodge room cost $2,277 for up to 4 people.
The 2026 sale had two parts: Early Access from January 21 to 31, with an extra fee, and the general sale on February 1 at 8:00 a.m. Arizona time. No 2027 dates were posted when we last checked. Our Havasu Falls permit guide covers booking step by step.
Fossil Creek and Multnomah Falls: seasonal permits
From April 1 to October 1, parking at Fossil Creek needs a $6 per-vehicle reservation on Recreation.gov. Each permit covers one vehicle and up to 12 people at one named lot. From October 2 to March 31, no permit is needed, the Forest Service says.
At Multnomah Falls, only the I-84 Exit 31 lot needed a timed-use permit in 2026, from May 22 to September 7. You don't need one if you arrive by bike, shuttle or transit. Our Multnomah Falls permit and parking guide has the details.
Year-round permits and tickets
Cedar Creek Falls, Kanarra Falls, Hanakāpīʻai Falls and Ruby Falls need a permit, ticket or reservation on any day they are open. Cummins Falls needs one to enter the gorge, and Lulumahu needs one for every visit. Cedar Creek sells none at the trailhead. Kanarra sells leftover tickets at a trailhead kiosk, the town says. Ruby Falls sells no walk-up tickets.
Park passes, not permits
Some falls need a park pass for your vehicle rather than a booking. Michigan's Recreation Passport covers vehicle entry at Tahquamenon Falls, Bond Falls and Ocqueoc Falls. Devil's Kettle needs a Minnesota state park vehicle permit. Each of those pages gives the 2026 price. Yellowstone needs no permit for its waterfalls, but non-US visitors pay a $100 nonresident fee on top of the Yellowstone entrance fee.
Waterfall permits FAQ
Which waterfall is hardest to get a permit for?
Havasu Falls, by booking window: the Havasupai Tribe sells a year's reservations in one sale, and every visit needs a 3-night booking. Kanarra Falls tickets also often sell out about a month ahead in April to October, the town says.
Do I need a permit for Multnomah Falls in winter?
No. In 2026 the timed-use permit applied only from May 22 to September 7, from 9am to 6pm. Outside those dates and hours, no permit was needed.
When do 2027 permits open?
Only Cedar Creek Falls has a fixed date: next year's permits open on December 1. Havasupai, ODOT and the Forest Service had not posted 2027 dates when we checked.
Can I buy a permit at the trailhead?
Not at Cedar Creek Falls, where Recreation.gov says none are sold at the trailhead. Kanarra Falls sells any tickets left for that day at a trailhead kiosk, the town says.
Sources
- Havasupai Reservations (official)
- NPS Grand Canyon: Havasupai Tribe Reservation
- Recreation.gov: Fossil Creek Wild and Scenic River permit
- Recreation.gov: Multnomah Falls (I-84) timed use permit
- ODOT: Waterfall Corridor permits
- Recreation.gov: Cedar Creek Falls permit
- Kanarra Falls official site (Town of Kanarraville)
- Go Hāʻena: Info and FAQs
- Tennessee State Parks reservations: Cummins Falls Gorge Access Permits
- DLNR DOFAW: Oʻahu FAQ (Lulumahu Falls permit)
- Ruby Falls: Tickets
- Michigan.gov: Recreation Passport
- MN DNR: State park vehicle permit