Ashley Korenblat: Timed entry system at Arches National Park was a success

Arches National Park is a jewel in the Utah crown and is a very special place for all of us. The amazing landscape full of gravity-defying arches is unique, astounding and a must-see place, as evidenced by the growing number of visitors, particularly in the past decade.

Arches also serves as a major economic driver for both southern Utah and the entire state. Looking at it through an economic lens, business owners, along with local and state coffers, depend upon a constant flow of revenue from this iconic national park. But like any business, a clear understanding of the product, or in this case experience, is required as we navigate future decisions.

The pilot timed entry system at Arches has just been renewed, and we are expecting a full report from both the National Park Service and the state of Utah on how things went in 2022 and what can be improved for 2023. In the interim we need to pursue a clear-eyed analysis of the issues in both the short and long term.

Moab has what could be argued the most sophisticated recreation product mix in the world, with opportunities across Grand and San Juan counties for every type of outdoor recreation imaginable. Nearly every outdoor product, from parachutes to tents and bikes to OHVs, are enjoyed by our visitors nearly every day. Yet, even with all these additional BLM and Forest Service recreation opportunities, Arches National Park still plays an important role in both our menu of activities and as a symbol of both the Moab community and the state of Utah.

To ensure that Arches will support us for the long run, we have an opportunity to explore ways to manage visitation that will produce satisfied and, hopefully, amazed and inspired customers. But we can’t let the perfect be the envy of the good. To do this, we need to consider the experiences that can be successfully offered inside this relatively small park, with success being defined as happy customers.

As of October 3, 2022, according to rec.gov there were 6,639 reviews regarding the Arches timed entry experience. Of those, 4,538 are 5 star and 1,082 are 4 star, giving us 85% happy customers with only 295, or less than 4%, giving us 1 star. On Trip Advisor, which is open to anyone, not just those who made a reservation, there were 10,770 reviews giving 4 or 5 stars for a 97.5% positive rating.

Prior to the timed entry system, there were regular horrible reviews when the park gate was closed for 3-5 hours at a time, the entry line was long or the trails were jammed. What we have learned so far is that the in-the-park experience was much improved during the timed entry pilot.

Right now, the National Park Service and the state are looking at ways to make next year’s pilot even better, particularly finding ways to deal with the entrance line. We know that part of the problem is that while visitors had paid for their reservation online, they still had to pay the entry fee at the gate. And those without a reservation had to be turned around and encouraged to reserve after 6 p.m. for the next day, come back later in the evening, or before 6 in the morning.

Yet, preliminary Park Service data shows 89% of visitors were successful in getting a reservation; 2% tried and did not get a time that worked for them and 8% didn’t know a reservation was needed. This last number should decrease as the Park Service, the county, the state and local businesses work to spread the word.

Ashley Korenblat is the CEO at Western Spirit Cycling and a managing director at Public Land Solutions