Voices: Timed entry at Zion National Park is good for the park, its visitors and neighboring communities

The state of Utah’s Public Lands Coordinating Council recently hosted a meeting of federal and state officials to discuss various issues affecting the use and management of the state’s national parks. It was reported that the idea of a timed entry system at Zion National Park and Arches National Park was discussed with opposition expressed for such a system at Zion.

I support the proposal to initiate a timed entry system to manage the visitor use of Zion and here’s why:

I served as the park’s superintendent during the decade of the ‘90s and saw firsthand the necessity of managing visitor use in order for the park to meet its dual mandate of preserving the park’s resources while providing a visitor experience that does not degrade those resources.

Park visitation in the ‘90s ranged up to 2.5 million visitors annually. There were about 400 parking spaces in the main canyon area which were inadequate to serve the number of visitors — and their cars — resulting in damage to resources and a degraded visitor experience. To address this situation, the park developed a transportation system serving the main canyon as well as the gateway community of Springdale.

The park presently is experiencing visitation levels at the 5 million level, which is overwhelming the transportation system, causing congestion, long lines and an unpleasant visitor experience. Clearly a new approach must be taken to address this situation.

During the ‘90s, the park also developed a general management plan which provides a guide for managing the park in the long term. Among the strategies identified for managing visitor use and experience was the implementation of a reservation system and a requirement of permits for certain uses or areas of the park. Implementation of a timed entry system is in conformance with the park’s approved general management plan.

I understand a shuttle reservation system was implemented at the park following the COVID-19 outbreak as a means of addressing visitor health and safety. One of the business owners in Springdale let me know that she was supportive of this system and that some of her customers were commenting on how much they enjoyed the ability to plan their visit and could spend more time in the community exploring other businesses and restaurants which also contributed to the local economy.

The idea of a reservation is nothing new. It seems we are all used to making a reservation to have a meal at a restaurant, to go to a concert or to a play. Reservation systems have been successfully used at other national park areas. The time has come for Zion National Park to implement its own timed entry system to benefit the visitors, the park’s resources and the gateway communities, as well.

Donald Falvey‘s 28-year career with the National Park Service involved assignments at various offices, including the Denver Service Center, the Rocky Mountain Regional Office and later at Badlands National Park and Zion National Park as their superintendent. He has a degree in civil engineering from Georgia Tech and a masters in public administration from the University of Denver.

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