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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 2 of 2)
luette Nov 26th 2009 11:08AM
WE and in the UNITED STATES--No longer OWN the grand canyon......NATO owns it, and every other park or national treasure we possessed.....thanks to all smiles and kisses, CLINTON........and now Obama will sign away our sovereignty.. all smiles and kisses......enjoy
Garylee123 Nov 26th 2009 11:15AM
The next thing will be to REDUCE the number of permits, then eventually eliminate them for the good of the environment and to preserve for future generations.Then they will charge $30 to take a picture from a designated area. THEN lease it to a private contractor because no money is being generated to "care" for it. After the contractor takes over the govt will close it to everyone again in the name of preservation and environment. IT"S OUR COUNTRY PEOPLE.
T. Prince Nov 26th 2009 11:51AM
Enjoy the limited permits. It may not be long until China owns all the parks paying for our debt. Thanks to our crooked Congress, the lobby, the greedy corps, we aren't going to have parks left. You do realize the government mortgaged them, right?
john Nov 26th 2009 11:57AM
Hey Luete you moron you must be another dumbass republican fool.
Go away! Go back to Utah or Idaho with the rest of the nutcases!!
Henry Leinen Nov 26th 2009 12:34PM
Its about time the NPS allowed this. Most parks have a data base system. Why doesn't the Grand Canyon simply adopt a computer based system like this:
1. Complete a web based application by a certain end date.
2. Allow the computer to choose the applications, with a % going to the commercial companies as their fees are much higher.
3. Post the results on a web site by another date certain.
4. Those that fail to obtain their permit on the day before or by noon of the day of their permit,loose it.
5. Lost permits go to persons who are at the office standing in some sort of line.
Joseph Papierz Jr Nov 26th 2009 1:05PM
I guess I shouldn't be surprised at anything I read these days. Is the park that small that they have to limit tourist to only 11,500? What's going on, are there only six or eight trails for hikers in the whole park? Do we have to apply in advance for a permit to just drive through the park now? Fogedabotit. I'll go somewhere where my tourist dollars will be appreciated.
Bob-0 Nov 26th 2009 1:05PM
Since the 90's The U.N. owns The Grand Canyon as it does every National Park.
Thank the Clinton Administration . Look it up.
Bob-0 Nov 26th 2009 1:11PM
John, It appears as though Luete is correct and YOU are wrong. Now as I see it you can either apologize or YOU can move to Cuba. Communistic Idiot!
Boy Scout Nov 27th 2009 11:01AM
Internet was my first thought too. Funny coincidence that camping = old school, fax, and snail mail = old school? Next thing you know you'll have to go through Ticketmaster and all of the permits will be gone in 5 minutes. Not a terrible idea...but might it promote scalping? Then again minus the service they provide, the outfitters are pretty much scalpers aren't they? Capitalism at its finest?
How about a Ticketmaster like system that is more of a lottery. It would create a job/company within the federal park system and would make it easier for all to apply. Out of 11,000 permits perhaps a chunk of them (based on previous head counts) could be made public domain, and a chunk of them set aside for outfitters. This would keep them in business/secure their business endeavors. After all they do provide a service to those consumer outdoorsmen who need/desire a more formal introduction to the park. Better yet, once the permits are divided they too could be a lottery within the public, vs outfitter domains. Meaning the public wouldn't be fighting over outfitter permits. Outfitters would have their own lottery system based on ~N~ amount of tickets available. IF the public tickets don't all sell by a set time/date then any extra tickets are reopened as outfitter permits.