During the hot summer months in Southern Utah, Arches National Park is pausing its timed entry reservation system until Labor Day, August 28.
That means that no reservations will be needed to enter the park — however, with temperatures reaching 100* this time of year, please avoid hikes in the middle of the day and drink plenty of water.
More information on the Arches Timed Entry program
Why timed entry was introduced
By the late 2010s, Arches National Park was seeing major spikes in visitation—over 1.5 million people annually. The entrance road would regularly back up onto US-191, and the park had to temporarily close its gates nearly every day during spring and fall peak seasons to avoid overcrowding. Visitors were being turned away or waiting hours to get in. It was creating a frustrating experience, increased environmental impact, and difficult working conditions for park staff.
After several years of discussion, pilot studies, and public feedback, the National Park Service decided to implement a timed entry reservation system to manage congestion.
Arches Timed Entry Pilot and implementation timeline
- 2017–2019: The NPS began studying visitation trends and launched limited pilot programs, such as closing the park once capacity was reached. These were reactive rather than preventative and did not fully solve the traffic jams.
- 2021: The park began seriously exploring a proactive timed entry system. During COVID-19, other national parks tested similar approaches (e.g. Rocky Mountain, Yosemite), and their success influenced Arches’ strategy.
- 2022: The first official timed entry pilot launched from April 3 through October 3. Visitors needed to reserve an entry time from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. months in advance via Recreation.gov. Local residents and some commercial operators had workarounds. The goal was to prevent the need for daily closures and smooth out peak congestion.
- 2023: The system returned for a second pilot from April 1 through October 31. Based on 2022 feedback, the NPS extended the season and fine-tuned the system to allow more last-minute reservations and improve local access.
- 2024: A third pilot ran April 1 through October 31, largely similar to 2023, but with continued adjustments based on community input and data.
How it works
During the timed entry season:
- Reservations are required for entrance between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m.
- Visitors must book a one-hour entry window in advance, usually released three months ahead, with a small daily batch released the day before.
- Once inside, visitors can stay as long as they want.
- The system is administered via Recreation.gov.
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