WASHINGTON – Senator Mike Lee, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, applauded today’s announcement from the Department of the Interior and the National Park Service that Arches National Park will not require advanced timed-entry reservations this year.

Chairman Lee and Utah leaders repeatedly raised concerns about the burdens imposed by timed-entry systems on visitors and gateway communities.

“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 adopted after the COVID-19 pandemic as pilot programs intended to be reviewed and revised based on seasonal data. In many cases, however, the systems became an unnecessary barrier for visitors and for gateway communities that depend on park tourism.

Data from the National Park Service show that after the reservation system was implemented at Arches National Park in 2022, visitor spending in Grand County dropped 12.4 percent in the first year and an additional 6.5 percent the next. 

The decision reflects the significant progress Utah has made in addressing congestion and improving the visitor experience through infrastructure investments and coordinated visitor management strategies.

Chairman Lee welcomed the move as an important correction after years of frustration from visitors and local communities.