More scenic sites require reservations this summer, but that’s not as bad as you might think.
Thursday, with the solstice occurring at 4:51 p.m. — the earliest since June 20, 1796. Yet even when the longest day of the year arrives more promptly than expected, there aren’t enough hours in it to enjoy all the fun warm-weather activities one would like. Case in point: visiting the national parks. That’s on many a family’s itinerary this summer, but space is limited, especially now that crowds in the park system have returned to —for some of the most popular parks.
The National Park Service is responding pragmatically, however, managing the flow of people through the parks with timed-entry reservation systems. About a dozen of the most popular destinations now require booking in advance. The federal government’s travel-planning platform,, issued more than 2 million timed-entry passes last year, as well as 1.5 million permits and 4 million camping reservations.
Valid though the criticisms might be, the essential trade-off remains: maximizing access to the parks vs. preserving their quality. Properly designed reservation systems can help strike the right balance. Rocky Mountain, for example, took three steps to maximize flexibility for visitors. The park releases 40 percent of each day’s available passes at 7 p.m. the night before so they aren’t all snapped up a month ahead of time. Reservations are required only from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Parks should continue to tailor rules to local considerations, with input from the community. Haleakala National Park in Hawaii requires reservations to drive in for the sunrise —pass provides unlimited entry to national parks and more than 2,000 other federal recreation sites, only a few of which require timed-entry passes. It’s $80 per year, and we’d call that a bargain even at twice the price.
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