Arches National Park just made it much easier to reserve your entry time!

To visit Arches National Park this summer (from April to October), visitors need to reserve a time to enter the park in addition to purchasing a park pass.

Press release by Arches National Park

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 to 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.  

For more information about the 2025 pilot timed entry program, please visit go.nps.gov/ArchesTicket. Details and updates will also be posted on the Arches National Park Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram pages.

The most enjoyable trips to Arches are safe ones. When making your travel plans, draft an itinerary that matches your current health and fitness with the expected temperature and trail conditions at the time of your visit. Then, build in some flexibility so you can nimbly react to the unexpected, too.