Senator Mike Lee, who chairs the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, has expressed support for the Department of the Interior and National Park Service’s decision to discontinue advanced timed-entry reservations at Arches National Park this year.
Lee and other Utah officials have previously voiced concerns about how these reservation systems affect visitors and local communities that rely on park tourism. “Utah’s parks belong to the people and experiencing them shouldn’t require months of planning,” said Chairman Lee. “What was originally sold as a way to manage congestion has instead created new safety risks and led to fewer visitors and lower revenue for local towns. Our national parks are treasures and should be open and accessible to all visitors.”
Timed-entry reservations were introduced after the COVID-19 pandemic as pilot programs, with the intention of adjusting them based on seasonal data. However, in practice, these systems often became obstacles for both tourists and gateway communities.
According to data from the National Park Service, visitor spending in Grand County declined by 12.4 percent in the first year after Arches implemented its reservation system in 2022, followed by an additional 6.5 percent decrease the next year.
The recent decision comes as Utah reports improvements in managing congestion and enhancing visitor experiences through infrastructure upgrades and coordinated management strategies.
Chairman Lee described the move as a positive step following years of challenges faced by both visitors and nearby towns.
