Timed entry tickets for Arches National Park can be purchased up to six months in advance, starting January 2.
After gathering feedback from stakeholders and the general public, Arches National Park decided to release reservation tickets three months early for the 2025 season. Previously, the park released reservations three months in advance, but with this adjustment visitors can purchase their entrance ticket six months in advance.
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 in a park statement.
Pace explained that the change is useful for both early planners and spontaneous adventurers, as the park will “continue to release next-day tickets, which often remain open for same-day booking.”
This announcement follows a previously released decision to not require reservations from July 7 to August 27, 2025.
Timed-entry tickets must be obtained before entering the park and will not be available at the park entrance. A timed entry ticket allows visitors to enter during a one-hour specified window. After entering, visitors can either remain in the park for the whole day or exit and re-enter the park with a correctly validated ticket.
Get a timed entry ticket
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.
Visitation to Arches National Park grew 73 percent between 2011 and 2021, nearing 2 million people annually, according to park data. This influx of visitation was concentrated during certain hours, which caused congestion at key landmarks and increased resource damage. Some days, the park had to temporarily close its gate until crowding lessened.
According to the park, the pilot timed entry program has successfully reduced congestion in the park and improved visitor experiences, providing reliable access and distributing visitation throughout the day.
You must be logged in to post a comment.