Press Release Nov 9, 2023

NPCA Welcomes 2024 Reservation Systems in Popular National Parks, Calls for Permanent Solutions

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"We applaud the National Park Service for advancing its bold and creative actions to protect natural and cultural resources and preserve high-quality visitor experiences" -- NPCA Senior Visitation Program Manager Cassidy Jones

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Delicate Arch at Arches National Park in Utah.

 

The National Park Service today announced the 2024 return of popular pilot visitor use management systems at Arches, Glacier and Rocky Mountain national parks.

Statement by Cassidy Jones, Senior Visitation Program Manager for the National Parks Conservation Association

“We applaud the National Park Service for advancing its bold and creative actions to protect natural and cultural resources and preserve high-quality visitor experiences. Bringing managed access pilot systems back to Arches, Glacier, and Rocky Mountain in 2024 is a positive next step towards making these improvements permanent.

We saw gridlock traffic and frustrated visitors return to Yosemite this year when its reservation system was suspended. We strongly support visitor use management at Arches and other parks to ensure poor visitor experience conditions don’t return there. Utah State University research at Arches and Glacier parks proves that reservation systems are working and largely welcomed by visitors.

After years of study and consideration, Rocky Mountain is advancing a plan that could lead to making its popular timed-entry system permanent, and Arches and other parks are weighing public comments that will ideally lead in a similar direction.

As a former national park ranger, I know that park staff dedicate not only their careers but also huge part of themselves to these places and the visitors who enjoy them, and they deserve our full support for making necessary advancements. Now is the time to speak up for park rangers and these beloved places by supporting bold and successful visitor use systems and calling for them to become permanent.

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About the National Parks Conservation Association: Since 1919, the nonpartisan National Parks Conservation Association has been the leading voice in safeguarding our national parks. NPCA and its more than 1.6 million members and supporters work together to protect and preserve our nation’s most iconic and inspirational places for future generations. For more information, visit www.npca.org.

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