Timed-entry reservations at Arches National Park likely reduced visitation to the park, even as the local tourism economy continued growing overall, according to a long-awaited study commissioned by Grand County.
The report from the University of Utah’s Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute arrives after years of debate in Moab and across Grand County over whether timed entry discouraged tourism and hurt the local economy or successfully reduced congestion and improved visitor experiences without significantly harming tourism-related businesses.
Arches introduced timed entry in 2022 after visitation surged 74% between 2011 and 2021. According to the National Park Service, the increase contributed to traffic backups, temporary park closures, crowding and resource concerns inside the park. The system required advance reservations during peak visitation periods, but is not being used at Arches this year. It remains unclear whether it could return in future years.
Researchers estimated timed entry likely reduced Arches visitation by the equivalent of roughly 170,000 fewer visitors annually between 2022 and 2024 — about 14.1% below what the study projected visitation might have been without the reservation system.
The report also estimated that, if broader economic conditions had otherwise remained roughly similar, the reduced visitation would have been associated with between $41.4 million and $55.1 million less annual visitor spending in Grand County than the model projected without timed entry.
To read Andrew Christiansen's full report visit moabtimes.com.
This article is published through the Utah News Collaborative, a partnership of news organizations in Utah that aims to inform readers across the state.