News Release

National Park Service to pilot timed entry reservation system at Arches National Park in 2022

Two people, one in a red coat and black pants and one in a navy shirt and tan pants, walk up a gravel trail surrounded by green trees towards a large red natural stone opening with blue sky and white clouds behind.

NPS/Chris Wonderly

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News Release Date: December 10, 2021

Contact: Kaitlyn Thomas, 202-763-3440

MOAB, Utah—The National Park Service today announced its intention to implement a temporary, timed entry reservation system at the highly visited Arches National Park in 2022.

“By implementing a temporary, timed entry reservation system, our goal is to better spread visitation throughout the day to reduce traffic congestion and visitor crowding. We believe this will create a higher-quality experience while maximizing access for our visitors,” said Arches National Park Superintendent Patricia Trap. “Additionally, we will use data gathered from this pilot to adapt and improve this system throughout the season, as well as to inform our future responses going forward.” 

The pilot will run from April 3 to October 3, 2022. Visitors can book reservations first-come, first-served on Recreation.gov beginning at 8 a.m. MST on January 3, 2022. The park will release reservations three months in advance in monthly blocks. On January 3, reservations will open for April 3 through April 30. On February 1, reservations will open for the month of May and any remaining reservations that have not been booked for April. Additional months will continue the same pattern according to following schedule:

  • April reservations (April 3–30) open January 3.

  • May reservations (May 1–31) open February 1.

  • June reservations (June 1–30) open March 1.

  • July reservations (July 1–31) open April 1.

  • August reservations (August 1–31) open May 1.

  • September reservations (September 1–30) open June 1.

  • October reservations (October 1–3) open July 1.

After booking a reservation, visitors will receive a Timed Entry Ticket. Timed entry tickets will be required to enter the park from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily and will allow visitors to enter the park during a one-hour specified window of availability. After entering, visitors may stay in the park as long as they wish for the remainder of the day. Reservation holders may exit and re-enter the park on the same day with a correctly validated ticket.

For those without early reservations, a limited number of additional reservations will be available for purchase at 6 p.m. MDT the day before entry through Recreation.gov. Reservations must be purchased online or by calling Recreation.gov before entering the park and will not be available at the park entrance. Timed entry reservations will not be required for those with camping permits, backcountry permits, Fiery Furnace permits, special use permits, concessions contracts, or commercial use authorizations. All reservations are expected to sell out quickly, and visitors are encouraged to plan ahead.    

During 2009 to 2019, visitation to Arches grew over 66%, from 996,312 to 1,659,702. This high level of visitor use creates congestion and crowding that can negatively impact public safety, visitor experiences, and park resources. The National Park Service met with the public in two virtual meetings in September to discuss potential solutions to these challenges and solicited comments about congestion management during a 30-day comment period. Additionally, park leadership has been working to collaborate closely with the local community and other stakeholders in the implementation of this pilot.

After analyzing visitation patterns and considering comments from the public and stakeholders, the National Park Service determined that a temporary timed entry pilot could ease vehicle congestion and visitor crowding by proactively pacing visitation into the park. The park expects timed entry reservations to provide visitors with a more reliable and enjoyable experience while protecting the park’s extraordinary landscape. Additionally, data collected over the duration of the pilot will help determine timed entry’s viability as a component of a longer-term visitor access strategy.

For more information, please visit go.nps.gov/ArchesTicket. Details and updates will also be posted on the Arches National Park Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.

-NPS-



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