This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

The idea of limiting visitation or requiring advance registration to national parks came up recently when Zion National Park officials worried that record crowds this year were overwhelming the park and hurting its resources.

That thought must be occurring at Arches and Canyonlands as well. Traffic jams are often the norm at Arches on busy weekends, where it can take as long as 90 minutes just to get through the entrance station.

I spent Labor Day weekend at Yellowstone and witnessed first hand how huge crowds affected the experience. With busses filled with tourists combined with private vehicles, many of the parking lots were filled beyond capacity, creating horrible traffic jams. Some of the boardwalks were wall-to-wall people.

I would drop off the passengers in my truck and then try to find a place to park, sometimes a near impossibility that took more than a few minutes. When we ran into a herd of bison in the Hayden Valley, the traffic on the two-lane road stretched for a mile on either end.

As a long-time outdoor writer, I know places in Utah where it is still possible to enjoy the outdoors in relative solitude. And I am glad to say that my children and I were lucky enough to see places such as Arches before Utah's population tripled and the place was discovered.

I wonder, too, if promotions such as Utah's Mighty Five effort designed to increase tourism in the state might be bad for the parks and, ultimately, hurt the industry because the crowds hurt the quality of the experience.

I have liked the permit system that limits visitation to places such as the Maze or Needles in Canyonlands by reserving only so many spots for four-wheel drive enthusiasts or backpackers who must reserve in advance.

Systems to limit the number of people hiking Zion's famous "Subway" also seem fair. The idea of reserving a few first-come, first-serve permits could also work.

Still, the freedom loving part of my brain hates the idea of having to make a reservation to get into a park that belongs to us all. Being able to head out to Zion on a whim when I am in the area or take an unexpected jaunt to Arches means a great deal to all of us.

So if a reservation system were to be established, and I think it is coming, some first-come, first-served permits should be available. And they ought to be given out at an information or visitor center in a town outside the park where those who don't get permits might receive suggestions about other area attractions.

It's a tricky situation that will require much planning and some wise land managers.

But one has to think that not battling traffic jams and waiting in line for hours to get into a park is not good for tourism and not sustainable in the long run.