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New permit system announced for Grand Canyon
The National Park Service announced a major change to the way it will distribute permits for those seeking to camp over night in the Grand Canyon yesterday, with administrators saying the move will level the playing field, allowing for every applicant to have a the same opportunity to earn one of the highly sought after permits. Each year, the Park Service makes 11,500 permits available to hikers, but they also average more than 23,000 requests for those permits. This discrepancy has led to a highly competitive situation, in which people will actually camp outside the Grand Canyon permit office in order to be first in line on the day the permits become available. Those who cannot go in person are forced to fax in their applications, and with only one fax line, that can turn into an exercise in frustration. Worse yet, hikers without access to a fax machine have to mail in their applications, putting them even further behind those that can physically visit the office.
Beginning in February of 2010, the Park Service will no longer accept applications in person however, and everyone will be forced to apply via fax or mail. This process should, in theory, give all applicants the same opportunity to to earn one of the coveted permits.
Of course, not everyone is happy with the new system. There are 26 companies that are chartered to guide paying customers into the Canyon, and many of them have relied on the fact that they are located close to the permit office, allowing them to fill their needs year in and year out. Now, they'll have to enter the lottery like everyone else, and run the risk of not getting a permit at all, severely cutting into their ability to operate.
While I do applaud the Park Service making the system more fair, I do have to wonder if they've heard of a little thing called the Internet. I have to think that there must be some way that the applications can be taken online, making the whole fax/mail system obsolete.
While I do applaud the Park Service making the system more fair, I do have to wonder if they've heard of a little thing called the Internet. I have to think that there must be some way that the applications can be taken online, making the whole fax/mail system obsolete.
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Filed under: Hiking, North America, United States, Camping
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Nick Nov 24th 2009 9:08AM
I've long been saying that the National Park Service needs to be modernized. Looks like these folks are living a few decades in the past.
Margie Nov 26th 2009 7:15AM
why not have all the applications emailed in and then have a lottery style pick so that it's not based on when you email it in... all applications should be in by "x" date and time...... then once they have those... they do a lottery system to pick the names and it would have to be with witnesses...... then once they have the names they must have some sort of way to check on the people re: real address etc......security check.... and again.. what about payment? not all folks have credit cards... so.. I think that maybe they should keep the "in person" going and set aside say some for email/ fax only..... this will help level the field.... and will give the people who are still willling to wait on line outside the advantage that they are doing and then there will be say 3000 applicants that will get in based on fax or email and those are set aside for that and then a lottery is done with those names this will be the fairest solution all ways round.. I hope this helps...
willybob22124 Nov 26th 2009 8:23AM
Why do we need to restrict access to a park that belongs to everyone? Don't tell me there's a chance in hell that, without such restrictions, the Grand Canyon would soon experience grid-lock, like all large American cities do daily.
Martin Nov 26th 2009 8:18AM
They need to revamp the permit system for running the river too. If I want to do it myself the wait for a permit is years and years...but if I have enough money, I can "buy" a trip from a commericial outfitter. The resource does not owe people a living.......make the commerical people apply for permits just like private people!!!
william Nov 26th 2009 9:06AM
Why should a business be favored over individuals when it comes to the parks?
Max Gordon Nov 26th 2009 1:23PM
They can more easily be held accountable for damage and pollution to the parks.
BH Nov 26th 2009 8:46AM
Internet access and support cost money. We scream about our taxes. How do you think our federal park services operate? Are the users willing to donate what it would take to modernize the park services ? Funny how we often forget the GOOD things our tax dollars go for.
Mike Nov 26th 2009 9:01AM
"....... but they also averages more than 23,000 requests....." ???
Shouldn't that be ....but they also average more than 23,000 requests...???
Press "1" for English.
COWBOY38 Nov 26th 2009 9:09AM
DOGGONE , SHAME WE HAVE TO GET IN LINE AND OR GET A PERMIT for something that was free for a million years. and noe needs to be overcommercialized, for the sake of making money. and i do not want to hear about having too many people, camping on and all over the place, and what so many would do to the enviroment. blame it on the dinos, and the indians. and nature that will still change the faces of the landscape. this was free at one time. all nature. until uncle sam. or rather the greedy people that run things wanted to control the crowds that want to get back to nature and somehow feel like our pioneer ansestors, this belongs to every american. be he rich or poor, and should have the right to explore it and any park out in the open without having restrictions on them. its just a control thing. because they say they want to protect the land and others. this govt. must stop trying to overprotect their people. to the extent they enslave them. just get little johnny and susie to sit in the corner and when we want them to have fun we will let them out and supervise them so they do not get hurt. otherwise the big bad insurance co. that insures them will get mad, if they have to use the money they get paid, and will not have enough to buy those building and big business `s they own and purchase with your money. and the big shots will not get that huge christmas boner. this is not mispelled by the way. but i`ve gotton off the subject at hand. but you people know what i mean i wonder who controled the wagon trains and the people before us, did the get permits to live in the wild. the only thing is a pot should be built up for donations for workers that could be needed to find and rescue to pay for cost. but with all the cell phones and electronics their sticks would be covered, anyway people pass on everyday, makes room for others. my drift is free is supposed to be just that free. govt. sure put an end to that word. anyway be good to yourselves people. may the good lord take a liken to you. i always wanted to say that. roy rogers use to say that. remember free is free
tony bruce Nov 28th 2009 7:36AM
good point, i agree 100 %.........glad someone else remembers ole roy
Mark Nov 26th 2009 11:29AM
Free is free? Dude, nothing is free. taxes pay for the upkeep of the Parks, as do fees. these places require upkeep and people to maintain them. Since we don't have a public service draft system, we have to raise money for the pay for people to do them. I don't like paying entry fees to National Parks, but I do know the country can no longer afford to do it out of tax monies. Do you expect to get to any entertainment venue for free? You appear to be trying to live in the past, and that just doesn't work.
Bob Nov 26th 2009 9:17AM
I'd rather take my chances standing in line. Then, I know that I am being allowed in because of my position in line rather than how I voted, who I know, or how much I contributed,
Scott Thoburn Nov 26th 2009 9:22AM
Boy how things have changed, when I was 18 years old I went to Grand Canyon with a couple of friends (1970). We decided to hike down the river on the Bright Angle trail. You didn't need any permits at that time to hike overnight. We didn't have any backpacks so we took our sleeping bags and carried them down to the river and stayed the night. We didn't see a sole on the whole way down or at the bottom or the way up on the Kaiab trail. So much for the old days...
Mark Nov 26th 2009 11:36AM
That's Bright Angel and it's Kaibab. If you didn't see a "sole" all day it seems that you didn't see the bottoms of your feet, or a fish, or something that was single. It seems like a lot has deteriorated since the 70's, including some skull contents
Flatjwl Nov 26th 2009 9:25AM
I agree with those who suggest a lottery system which eliminates the first come, first serve, mania and gives everyone the same odds. Get your request in by a set date and time no matter whether fax, mail, email, or pony express and take your chances with all the others.
watdafuk Nov 26th 2009 9:50AM
So there camping out to get a permit to go camping?
Brian Nov 26th 2009 10:39AM
The Grand Canyon is available for 365 days a year, the 11,500 permits is only allowing 31.5 campers a day to camp in the park, that seems a little odd to me that with such a large park that only 31.5 campers are allowed, we have millions of people in this country, and I am sure that some of them would like to camp and hike in the park before they die.
Why can't they increase the number of permits?
jitterbopper Nov 26th 2009 11:12AM
Just another F uped government agency
cuz Nov 26th 2009 10:32AM
11,500 permits in a Nation of 300 Million--something is very wrong with this picture,
Bob M Nov 27th 2009 9:11PM
I ran out of gas in the Grand Canyon and had to spend the night along the main road in and out of the Canyon. NO RANGERS EVER ASKED ME FOR A PERMIT!! I was actually hoping they would have, so I could have avoided sleeping in my car. When I got to the gas station the next morning in the park, I said to the attendant, with sarcasm, "I just wanted to thank all the rangers who checked on me." He seemed shocked and said, "Really?? Someone checked on you???" When I said, "No, I was kidding," he said, "Oh, I didn't think so, because most of them go home at 5." So there you go, just get there after five and camp out to your heart's content, no permit needed!