MOAB, Utah — Utah's popular Arches National Park is about to take a page out of the Disneyland playbook when it comes to guest admissions.
The National Park Service announced Friday it will begin a timed entry system that will require guests to make reservations to visit the iconic park in southern Utah.
Beginning April 3 and running through Oct. 3, visitors must book afirst-come, first served reservation online. Once a reservation is booked, guests will receive a timed entry ticket that will allow them to enter Arches during a one-hour window.
Once guests enter the park, they can stay as long as they wish throughout the day.
Park officials will release reservations three months in advance of monthly blocks:
- 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.
From 2009 to 2019, visitors to Arches National Park increased 66% to over 1,659,700 people, creating overcrowding and congestion throughout the area.
“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.
The park will make a limited amount of reservations available for those without at 6 p.m. the day before entry.
Reservations will not be required for those with camping and backcountry permits.
