News Release
NPS/Veronica Verdin
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Contact: Karen Garthwait, 435-260-0713
Moab, Utah – Informed by two years of pilot timed entry, Arches National Park is seeking public feedback about visitor experiences and long-term strategies for visitor access. From now through December 1, 2023, the public is invited to share their comments. Input received from this process will be used to inform strategies for the future.
Visitation to Arches National Park has increased by 73 percent over the past decade and almost doubled since just 2007, nearing 2 million people annually. From March through October, visitor arrivals typically peak in late morning to early afternoon hours, causing congestion at key park destinations, reduced visitor enjoyment, and increased resource damage. Temporary closures of the main park entrance were sometimes needed to manage congestion, resulting in many visitors being unable to enter the park at their preferred time or at all.
In response, the park piloted timed-entry reservation systems in 2022 and 2023. Data and visitor feedback show that reservation systems were successful in reducing congestion, improving visitor experiences, and distributing visitation throughout the day. Visitors arriving with the appropriate vehicle reservation and park pass were guaranteed entry to the park during the pilots.
“We have learned a lot from these past two years of pilot timed-entry programs and now we’d like to hear from the public about what has worked, where there are still challenges, and what longer-term visitor use management could look like," said Acting Superintendent Brendan Bray. “Our goal in this process comes back to providing predictable, safe, and efficient access to a variety of high-quality experiences for visitors while ensuring that what makes Arches so special is protected future generations. We also believe that the best solutions are informed by engagement from community members, partners, Tribes, and visitors who care about their parks.”
The project website, which includes a newsletter, provides a summary of key issues, the history of visitation and visitor use management in the park, and instructions for how to formally submit comments.
The park will announce operational plans for summer 2024 in the coming weeks.
Last updated: October 24, 2023