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MOAB — Arches National Park officials turned to a seasonal timed-entry program in 2022 after record-breaking visitation during the prior year brought park entry to a halt many times.
The program requires visitors to purchase entry tickets in advance, helping guarantee when people will arrive so traffic isn't backed up by everyone arriving at the same time — a recurring problem that reached a boiling point in 2021. Before timed entry, it wasn't uncommon for the park's main entrance to be closed for hours just to combat traffic congestion.
While it's still a pilot program, timed entry has been a staple over the past three summers, easing that issue.
"We continue to hear positive comments from people who enjoyed the guaranteed arrival time and reduced congestion they experienced during these pilots," said Lena Pace, the park's superintendent.
The program will return in 2025, but with a major change: Timed-entry tickets will no longer be required during a portion of the summer.
Arches rangers unveiled the park's 2025 timed-entry schedule on Thursday, which generally runs from April 1 through Oct. 31, like in years past. However, there's a large gap between July 7 and Aug. 26, 2025, when the park won't enforce timed entry.
The break coincides with the end of the Independence Day holiday weekend, but timed entry will resume on Aug. 27, 2025, just ahead of the Labor Day holiday weekend. Park officials explained that visitation "traditionally slows down" between those holidays, which is why they're testing what it would look like to keep the old first-come, first-served entry system during that time.
Next year could also be the final pilot program year before a long-term solution is adopted.
"We've opted to continue the interim action next year while we further examine long-term solutions so that people can start making their 2025 travel plans knowing what to expect," Pace said.
Timed-entry tickets for April reservation dates will go on sale through Recreation.gov beginning on Jan. 2, 2025. Those planning to come to a park on a certain day can select a time between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. when they will arrive. The cost remains $2.
Reservation dates for other months will go on sale later in the year:
- May reservations: Feb. 1.
- June reservations: March 1.
- July 1-6 reservations: April 1.
- August 27-31 reservations: May 27.
- September reservations: June 1.
- October reservations: July 1.
Meanwhile, park officials are still collecting feedback from visitors on the timed-entry process. Anyone with positive or negative reviews of the system can submit them on a webpage park officials set up through Nov. 23. An open house is planned for Nov. 14 at the Grand Center in Moab, 182 N. 500 West, beginning at 5:30 p.m.
Park officials wrote online that a proposed final plan will be released sometime after collecting all the feedback.
"Public comment periods are opportunities for people to share their input to help make the plan as strong and informative as possible. They are not votes," officials added.
