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Cities

New Orleans, LA

Louisiana · Deep South

New Orleans, LA
Photo: Wikimedia Commons, credited in the site footer.
Entry Free to visit
Scale 363K residents
Est. 1718
Season Feb-May, Oct-Nov

Brass bands on corners, Creole kitchens, and a city that treats dinner as an event.

Getting there

Louis Armstrong (MSY) is 20 minutes from downtown. The French Quarter is walkable; the streetcar covers Uptown and the Garden District.

Don't miss

Best time to go

February to May, then October to November. Hurricane season runs June to November and the summer heat is its own hazard.

Nearby

Lafayette Baton Rouge Natchez

Costs and seasons change

Fees and visitor figures are taken from the National Park Service pages for this park; re-check nps.gov before you book. The planning copy is ours.

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Before you go

Do I need a reservation to visit the big parks?

Not at the time of writing. Yosemite dropped its timed-entry system, Grand Canyon states there is no timed entry, and Yellowstone does not require a vehicle reservation. Acadia is the exception: Cadillac Summit Road needs a $6 vehicle reservation between 20 May and 25 October 2026.

What does the $35 entrance fee actually cover?

One private vehicle and everyone inside it, for the park's stated period: seven days at Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and Acadia, one to seven days at Zion. Motorcycles pay $30 and walkers or cyclists pay $20 per person.

Is there a surcharge for international visitors?

Yes. Each park page states that non-US residents aged 16 and over pay an additional $100 each, unless they hold an America the Beautiful annual pass or an annual park pass. It is per person, not per vehicle.