Infos zum Arches NP

Arches announces another pilot vehicle reservation system using timed entry in 2025

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Arches National Park will implement another pilot vehicle reservation system using timed entry in 2025, beginning April 1. Program parameters will be mostly the same as the 2024 pilot, except the park will not require reservations from July 7 to August 27, 2025 (after July 4th weekend until just before Labor Day weekend) when visitation traditionally slows down.

“We continue to hear positive comments from people who enjoyed the guaranteed arrival time and reduced congestion they experienced during these pilots,” said Arches National Park Superintendent Lena Pace. “We’ve opted to continue the interim action next year while we further examine long-term solutions so that people can start making their 2025 travel plans knowing what to expect.”

Timed entry tickets will be required for visitors arriving between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. daily when the program is in effect (unless they have camping, tour, or special use permits; concessions contracts; commercial use authorizations; or academic or volunteer fee waivers). Visitors arriving before 7 a.m. or after 4 p.m. will not need a timed entry ticket.

Visitors can reserve their tickets on a first-come first-served basis through Recreation.gov, online or over the phone, beginning at 8 a.m. MST on January 2, 2025. Reservations will be released three months in advance in monthly blocks. For example, on January 2, reservations will open for the month of April. On February 1, reservations will open for the month of May and unreserved times in April will remain open. Additional months will continue the same pattern according to the following schedule:

April reservations (April 1–30) open January 2.

May reservations (May 1–31) open February 1.

June reservations (June 1–30) open March 1.

July reservations (July 1–6) open April 1.

August reservations (August 27–31) open May 27.

September reservations (September 1–30) open June 1.

October reservations (October 1–31) open July 1.

Starting March 31, additional tickets will be released at 7 p.m. MT each day for park visits the following day. Any unreserved tickets remain available for same-day booking.

Timed entry tickets will allow visitors to enter during a one-hour specified window between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. After entering, visitors may stay in the park for the remainder of the day. Ticket holders may exit and re-enter the park on the same day with a correctly validated ticket. The only cost associated with booking a reservation is a $2 Recreation.gov processing fee.

Tickets must be booked online or by calling Recreation.gov before entering the park and will not be available at the park entrance. Advance tickets book up quickly, especially for morning arrival times, so visitors are encouraged to plan ahead.

Visitation to Arches National Park grew 73 percent between 2011 and 2021, nearing 2 million people annually. This increase was concentrated during certain hours, causing congestion at key park destinations, reduced visitor enjoyment, and increased resource damage. During times of peak congestion prior to implementing the vehicle reservation pilots, the park had to temporarily close its gates until crowding lessened, resulting in many visitors being unable to enter the park at their preferred time or at all. The vehicle reservation pilots in 2022, 2023, and 2024 were successful in reducing congestion, improving visitor experiences, providing reliable access, and distributing visitation throughout the day. Visitors arriving with the appropriate vehicle reservation and park pass were guaranteed entry to the park during the pilots.

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manchmal ist eine frühe Geburt eine Gnade

Arches will offer earlier advance timed entry reservations in 2025

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Reservations can be made up to six months in advance, starting January 2

In response to feedback from stakeholders and the general public, Arches National Park is changing its 2025 pilot timed entry reservation system to accept reservations up to six months in advance—twice as long as previously announced.

According to recent surveys, 15-26% of Arches’ visitors plan their trip six months or more in advance. “Enabling earlier reservations gives people more flexibility in planning their visit to Arches,” said Arches National Park Superintendent Lena Pace. “To accommodate all travel styles, we will also continue to release next-day tickets, which often remain open for same-day booking.”

The previously-announced decision to not require reservations from July 7 to August 27, 2025, (after July 4th weekend until just before Labor Day weekend) is also an adaptation based on feedback from past pilots. Visitation traditionally slows down during peak summer months when daytime temperatures are hottest, reducing the need to manage crowding in the park.

All other program parameters will remain the same. Visitors arriving between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. when the program is in effect will need to have booked a timed entry ticket in order to enter the park (unless they have camping, tour, or special use permits; concessions contracts; commercial use authorizations; academic or volunteer fee waivers; or are from an associated Tribal Nation). Visitors arriving before 7 a.m. or after 4 p.m., or between July 7 and August 7, 2025, will not need a timed entry ticket.

Tickets must be obtained before entering the park and will not be available at the park entrance. Visitors can reserve their tickets through Recreation.gov, either online or over the phone (1-877-444-6777), beginning at 8 a.m. MST on January 2, 2025. Reservations will be released up to six months in advance in blocks. On January 2, reservations will open for all dates in April, May, and June. On February 1, reservations will open for the month of July and unreserved times for April, May, and June will remain open. The full release schedule is as follows:

April–June reservations (April 1–June 30) open January 2.

July reservations (July 1–6) open February 1.

August reservations (August 28–31) open March 1.

September reservations (September 1–30) open April 1.

October reservations (October 1–31) open May 1.

Starting March 31, additional tickets will be released at 7 p.m. MT nightly for park visits the following day. Any unreserved tickets remain available for same-day booking.

After booking a reservation, visitors will receive a timed entry ticket that allows them to enter during a one-hour specified window. After entering, visitors may stay in the park for the remainder of the day. Ticket holders may exit and re-enter the park on the same day with a correctly validated ticket. The only cost associated with booking a reservation is a $2 Recreation.gov processing fee.

Arches’ pilot timed entry program is an effort to improve visitors’ experiences through managed access. Visitation to Arches National Park grew 73 percent between 2011 and 2021, nearing 2 million people annually. This increase was concentrated during certain hours, causing congestion at key park destinations, reduced visitor enjoyment, and increased resource damage. During times of peak congestion prior to implementing these pilots, the park had to temporarily close its gate until crowding lessened, resulting in many visitors being unable to enter the park at their preferred time or at all. The vehicle reservation pilots in 2022, 2023, and 2024 were successful in reducing congestion, improving visitor experiences, providing reliable access, and distributing visitation throughout the day. Visitors arriving with the appropriate timed entry ticket and park pass were guaranteed entry to the park during the pilots.

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One of Utah's most beloved national park hikes is closed indefinitely

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Park officials said the Fiery Furnace closure, announced on Sunday, is due to staff shortages

The repercussions of President Donald Trump’s hiring freeze, hundreds of rescinded job offers and firings of National Park Service employees — many of which are still in legal limbo — are emerging across America’s national park system. On Sunday, Arches National Park announced the closure of one of the most coveted hikes in the country: Fiery Furnace.

The natural labyrinth of red rocks in Utah is filled with narrow passages, tight spaces and towering arches, and in the ’90s, it was so overrun by hikers that a permitting system was installed to allow just over 100 hikers per day in springtime through the fall. A rash of park rescues in the spring of ’94, coupled with the severe resource degradation of Fiery Furnace’s delicate sandstone due to “unregulated and uneducated users,” led the park to take action and install the permitting system.

Now, permits for both ranger-led tours and self-guided hikes are both discontinued until further notice.

The reason? The seasonal employees necessary to supervise the area and activity were erroneously lumped in with a hiring freeze enacted by the Trump administration in January.

“We were told that we were safe from this, that our jobs still existed and we would continue to be hired,” a seasonal worker told SFGATE after having their job offer rescinded. “I plan my year around NPS seasons, including renting apartments, putting in notices at my off-season jobs, and making hotel arrangements for travel. I don’t know where I’m going at this point.”

About two weeks ago, two U.S. District Court judges mandated that all fired “probationary” workers — referring to employees who are new hires in their first one or two years of employment or longer-term employees who recently transitioned to a new position — be reinstated. But seasonal employees are now delayed. The Associated Press reported in late February that “following an uproar over an aggressive plan to downsize the agency,” a park service memo said it will hire up to 7,700 seasonal positions this year — up from the three-year average of 6,350. Seasonal workers take months to hire during normal circumstances. But now, as the parks are also scrambling to reinstate hundreds of fired employees, many parks — including Arches — have had to suspend access to beloved places like Fiery Furnace.

“Once seasonal employees arrive, we look forward to resuming normal spring operations,” Arches National Park’s notice reads.

A park spokesperson told Axios on Monday that a “firm date” when full staffing was expected couldn’t be provided “because of how hiring happened this year” and that the “start dates are a bit stretched out.”

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Deutscher Tourist (77) stirbt beim Wandern

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Die traumhafte Wanderung endet in einer Tragödie. Beim Wandern im Arches National Park im US-Bundesstaat Utah verliert ein deutscher Urlauber plötzlich den Halt, stürzt zu Boden. Trotz sofort eingeleiteter Wiederbelebungsmaßnahmen mehrerer Augenzeugen verliert der Mann sein Leben.

In dem für seine Sandsteinbögen bekannten Nationalpark bricht der Tourist am Dienstag (6. Mai) zu einer Wanderung auf. An einer herausfordernden Stelle des Window Loop Trails stürzt er plötzlich, berichten andere Wanderer nach Angaben des Parks, auf die sich die Nachrichtenagentur BNO beruft.

Die Zeugen hätten sofort Wiederbelebungsmaßnahmen eingeleitet, auch die Ranger seien schnell vor Ort gewesen. Doch für den 77-Jährigen kommt jede Hilfe zu spät.

Bei dem verunglückten Wanderer soll es sich um einen Mann aus Nordrhein-Westfalen handeln. Die Einsatzkräfte erklärten den 77-Jährigen noch an der Unfallstelle für tot.

Die Mitarbeiter des Parks nehmen gemeinsam mit Beamten des Grand County Sheriff’s Office die Ermittlungen zu dem tödlichen Unfall auf, berichtet Fox News. Wieso der Mann so plötzlich die Balance verlor, ist bislang unklar.

Den tragischen Vorfall nutzt der Parkdienst, um die Besucher an die Gefahren des unebenen Geländes zu erinnern. Gesundheitliche Einschränkungen und sich ändernde Wetterbedingungen könnten das Risiko von Verletzungen oder tödlichen Unfällen in abgelegeneren Teilen des Arches National Parks erhöhen.

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Arches and Canyonlands anticipate busy Fourth of July weekend

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Reservations required at Arches through holiday weekend; program to pause July 7 through August 27

Arches and Canyonlands national parks are preparing for another hot and busy July Fourth holiday weekend. Visitors should expect increased traffic, long lines at park entrances, busy trails, and limited parking at both parks.

Through Sunday, July 6, most visitors entering Arches between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. will need a timed entry reservation. Reservations can be made online at http://www.Recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777. Next-day tickets are released at 7 p.m. daily. Those without reservations may enter the park before 7 a.m. or after 4 p.m. but may experience additional crowding (especially in late afternoon). Reservations cannot be made at Arches' entrance booths. Timed entry reservations are not required at Canyonlands.

Beginning Monday, July 7, the pilot timed entry reservation system at Arches will pause for seven weeks. Arches’ parking lots and trails can usually accommodate slower mid-summer visitation without needing a reservation system to redistribute crowds. The reservation system will resume on August 28 for the increased visitation expected Labor Day weekend and end for the year on October 31.

Visiting the high desert in summer requires extra precaution. Plan for your safety by consuming plenty of water and healthy snacks and by avoiding strenuous hikes between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. Watch for signs of heat stress, such as dizziness, cramps, fatigue, headache, or irritability. If monsoon rainstorms are forecast, avoid travel on unpaved backcountry roads. Check the parks’ websites and social media accounts for current road conditions.

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