This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Memorial Day always ranks among the busiest three-day weekends of the year for outdoor recreation spots.

Those visiting national parks, fishing areas, public campgrounds and state parks can expect some of the most crowded conditions of the year as the summer recreation season kicks off.

That is going to be especially true at Arches National Park this year, as a combination of road construction and other changes could mean waits to get into the park.

Park officials say the weekend often brings record visitation, overflowing parking lots and long lines.

A big change this year is that there will be no left turn lane to enter Arches National Park for southbound traffic on U.S. 191. That means that vehicles coming from the Wasatch Front will have to pass the Arches entrance road and follow signs showing where to turn around. Only northbound vehicles may enter the park.

Park officials are strongly recommending that visitors avoid entering the parks between 9 a.m. and noon when wait times may be longer than an hour. If parks reach capacity, vehicles may be prohibited from entering until space becomes available.

To help minimize wait times at the park entrance stations, rangers ask that vehicles keep pace with traffic in line. Current pass holders and returning visitors should have passes and identification ready. Credit cards are preferred for paying entrance fees or purchasing annual or lifetime passes.

Parking lots at Arches and nearby Canyonlands are expected to be crowded or full much of the weekend. If the lots are full, visitors will need to return at a later time.

Also in anticipation of the crowds, there will be no nightly construction closures at Arches from 7 a.m. Friday until 7 p.m. Thursday.

Whether going to Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Zion or Bryce national parks, it might be good to follow them on Twitter or Facebook for updates or search http://www.NPS.gov for current conditions.

Tom Wharton