News and Trivia
Latest information about traveling through the USA
On this page you will find current information and news about traveling through the USA. Also things that might be interesting and do not fit anywhere else.
November 01, 2023 - Change to the America the Beautiful passes from January 01, 2024
From January 2024, all America the Beatiful passports will only have one signature line. This means that passports can no longer be passed on or sold, which is already questionable and prohibited. From 2024, the passport will therefore be linked to the person who signs the back. The pass will then be valid for the pass holder and all persons in the same vehicle or for the pass holder and three other adults. Depending on which guidelines the park in question uses to charge admission fees. Everything you need to know about the changes can be found on the official webpage.
Aug. 10, 2023 - Wildfires destroy parts of historic Lahaina on Maui
Severe wildfires that have been raging for a few days on Maui have spread to the small town of Lahaina on August 10 and partially destroyed it. At least six people lost their lives. Hurricane Dora, which passed Hawaii at a distance of 500mi, probably fueled the fires with strong winds. Several forest fires continue to rage on Maui and Big Island. Current information can be found among others in the local media.
July 22, 2023 - Finally the Tioga Pass is open to traffic again.
The record winter of 2022/2023 had provided the Sierra Nevada with extreme snowfalls and so it took a perceived eternity until the Tioga Pass could be cleared of snow, debris and fallen trees. However, on July 22 it is now finally happening. From 8am you can access Yosemite NP again via Tioga Pass. There are still some construction sites that lead to delays, but at least the road is passable again. All important information about the opening and current developments can be found at the official webpage .
Winter 2022/2023 - Extreme snow and rainfall in California and Utah
The winter of 2022/2023 brought extreme rain and snow to parts of the Southwest. On the one hand, this brings considerable relief from the persistent drought, but on the other hand it also leads to problems. In some places, for example, there is a risk of extreme avalanches and flooding. Anyone visiting the region in spring 2023 is advised to check the weather conditions. Thus, it will probably take a while longer this year until, for example, the Tioga Road through Yosemite NP can be reopened. The predictions are from the end of June to the beginning of July. Here is the latest info on planned openings.
January 2023 - Closures and construction on Highway 1 in California.
Again, extreme rainfall has led to several landslides on the Pacific Coast Highway. The road was buried or damaged in several places and is therefore not passable (currently March 2023). Here you can get information about the current state.
06/13/2022 - Flash floods in Yellowstone National Park
Heavy rains in and around the park lead to destruction and the temporary closure of the park. The northern loop is particularly affected. Gardiner is cut off from the outside world, power outages everywhere in the park. Tourists are evacuated.
Current: As of mid-July 2022, most of the park's roads have reopened. All entrances to the park are closed. The current developments can be found at the parks homepage .
05/29/2022 - Kasha Katuwe NM is temporarily closed
The National Monument is currently closed to the public. During the closure, work is being done on the park's infrastructure to improve the experience for all visitors. When the NM will reopen is not determined at this time. Up to date information can be found on the BLM-site.
05/03/2022 - Sedona shuttle for certain trailheads
Due to the tremendous volume of visitors, shuttles are operated year-round, Thursday through Sunday, to several trailheads around Sedona. These are
- Cathedral Rock
- Little Horse
- Soldier Pass
- Dry Creek, with access to Devil’s Bridge
- Mescal ( starting summer 2022)
When the shuttles are in operation, the parking lots at Cathedral Rock and Soldier Pass are closed. All info can be found on the official webpage. If the number of visitors is very high, the shuttles will also be used on the other days of the week. Current updates on this topic can also be found on the official homepage.
03/07/2022 - Glacier Point Road closed until spring 2023
Due to restoration and maintenance work, the access road to Glacier Point is closed until spring 2023. Until then, Glacier Point can only be reached via the trails from the Valley. All information can be found on the official webpage.
03/15/2022 - As of March 15, there are important changes to the daily lottery for the Wave Permits.
Starting from the 15th of March the on-site lottery for wave permits will be changed to an online system. How it works exactly we explain at our Permitsite for the Coyote Buttes North. All information can also be found at the websites of recration.gov, through which the lottery will also take place.
12/10/2021 - Beginning April 3, 2022, a permit will be required to enter Arches NP
It has now come to the point that access to Arches NP must be regulated. Since the park was literally flooded by visitors in recent years, a permit system will be introduced from April 3, 2022. The Permits will be available three months in advance online via recreation.gov . Here you will find the aktuellen Informationen regarding the permits.
11/08/2021 - After more than 20 months, travel to the USA is now allowed again for travelers from Europe
Although it is not expected for the Corona pandemic to end, travel for Europeans has been permitted again since November 8, 2021. For the time being, however, this applies only to fully vaccinated persons (as of November 2021). The requirements to be met can be found on the page of the CDC - Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
10/20/2021 - Access to Rainbow Bridge no longer readily available
Until further notice, the conventional access via Lake Powell is no longer readily available. Primarily due to low water levels, the dock no longer connects to the established trail. Work is underway to make access possible again. However, it is not yet clear when this will happen. All information can be found at the official webpage.
08/14/2021 - Zion NP - Permits required for Angels Landing hike beginning January 2022
Finally, there seems to be a permit system for the hike to Angels Landing. The hike became famous because of the great views, but also because of the challenge and the thrill. Especially in the summer months, the trail became so crowded that it became more and more a danger to the hikers. Previously, attempts were made to channel the masses by stopping them at the trailhead and only allowing a certain number of people onto the trail at any given time. This has probably not been enough and so now from January 2022 a permit system is to be introduced. How this will look exactly is not yet quite clear.
St George NEW
Update Dezember 2021: Das Permitsystem ist etabliert. Permits können hier online reserviert werden. Recreation.com. Die Anzahl der Permits ist noch nicht festgelegt, da es sich um ein Pilot-Projekt handelt soll die genaue Anzahl abhängig vom Interesse und weiteren Beobachtungen vor Ort entschieden werden. Alles dazu kann man here. .
06/18/2021 - Juneteenth - A new national holiday
Juneteenth or National Independence Day is a day of remembrance that commemorates the liberation of the African American population from slavery. It will be celebrated every year on June 19, starting in 2021.
06/01/2021 - Astronomical prices for rental cars in the USA
It is not yet an acute problem for European tourists, because the borders to the USA are still closed to travelers. However, should travel to the USA become possible in 2021, tourists will face a rather unusual problem. During the Corona pandemic, many car rental companies reduced their fleets so drastically due to a lack of customers that there are now bottlenecks as demand increases again. The consequence are enormous price increases for rented cars. Thus, it is not uncommon right now that several hundred dollars / day for a small car are demanded. LEARN MORE.
04/19/2021 - Restrictions due to the Corona pandemic expected again in 2021
Even if the Corona pandemic in the U.S. is slowly beginning to ease and the vaccination is progressing well, you must also expect restrictions in 2021. For example, Disneyland opens its doors again on April 30, 2021, but some restaurants and attractions are still closed where it is not possible to maintain the necessary distance. In addition, masks are still mandatory everywhere on the site.
For German tourists, entry into the USA is still not possible at the moment.
Those who are traveling in the country should inform themselves in advance where there are possible restrictions in order to avoid being confronted with closures.
04/10/2021 - Permit requirement for a few national parks
Despite Corona, many national parks had record visitation numbers in 2020. In order to channel the flow of visitors a little in 2021 and to prevent contagions with Corona as far as possible, a permit is needed for a few national parks in 2021. The following parks are affected: Acadia NP in Maine, Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, Glacier NP in Montana, Rocky Mountain NP in Colorado, Yosemite NP in California Zion NP in Utah. Since the parks are all located in different parts of the country and the conditions are different everywhere, the modalities for the permits are also different in each park. How exactly to get the permits can be found on the official page of the respective national park.
03/01/2021 - New National Park App
This app contains all the important information about over 400 areas managed by the National Park Service. So you have all the information about all the parks always available. You can download maps, among other things, and have them at hand offline. The app is available free for iOS and Android devices. Everything you need to know about it can be found on the official webpage.
02/20/2021 - Massive obstructions to be expected due to road construction in Glacier NP
Obstructions are expected in 2021 at several locations due to road construction throughout the park. Detailed information about the construction work can be found on the official webpage.
01/30/2021 - Landslide after heavy rains on Highway 1 near Big Sur
On January 30, 2021, a landslide occurred about 15km south of Big Sur. This has unfortunately also torn a piece of Highway 1 into the ocean. Thus, Highway 1 is once again closed and can not be driven continuously for the time being. It will certainly take some time to repair the damage. For more info click here.
Current: At record speed, the road was repaired and has been reopened since 04/23/2021. LEARN MORE.
01/11/2021 - More permits for the Wave
Many have wished for it, now it has come true. From now on there are 64 instead of 20 permits every day for the hike to the Wave in the Coyote Buttes North. All important info about this permit extension can be found here..
01/01/2021 - Covid closures of all Navajo Nation facilities
Also in 2021, all parks and other facilities within the Navajo Nation will remain closed. This concerns e.g. all Antelope Canyons, Monument Valley, Canyon de Chelly, Navajo NM, Waterhole Canyon, Little Colorado River Overlook, Four Corners Monument...All current developments can be found on the official webpage.
Current: The View Hotel will be reopened as of 04/09/2021. However, Monument Valley itself remains closed.
01/01/2021 - Multiple road construction and closures in Yellowstone NP.
In 2021, Yellowstone NP will continue to be affected by road construction. Affected are the northern entrance at Gardiner. The route between Tower Junction and Canyon and the access to Upper Geyser Basin. More detailed information about the construction sites can be found on the official webpage.
12/27/2020 - New River Gorge in West Virginia to become a new national park
As of Dec. 27, 2020, New River Gorge is the 63rd national park of the United States. It is the first and only national park in West Virginia. LEARN MORE.