Red Rock to begin reservations to better control crowds

https://www.8newsnow.com/news/local-news/red-rock-offering-reservations-to-better-control-crowdsred-rock-to-begin-reservations-to-better-control-crowds/

As time goes on, conditions at Red Rock get worse and worse and the Bureau of Land Management continues to drive it into the ground.

I assume this means that areas like Calico will be even worse and the thieves at Black Velvet will have many more vehicles to choose from?...

Umm...  Does this mean I have to do Epi car to car from 8am to 5pm?

So if I want to do some sport climbing after work, I'm gonna need to wait until after 5pm, or have to make a reservation ahead of time?  Seems like a whole lotta BS to me.

Gumby Kingwrote:

Umm...  Does this mean I have to do Epi car to car from 8am to 5pm?

Epi isn't accessed from the scenic loop.

Loop hours at 6am-7pm in October and 6am-5pm Nov-Feb.

Reserve up and don't be part of the overcrowding, I guess.

Matt Wetmorewrote:

Epi isn't accessed from the scenic loop.

ohhhh  whew thanks.  I got really scared.  

(Not familiar with the place)

NegativeKwrote:

Loop hours at 6am-7pm in October and 6am-5pm Nov-Feb.

Reserve up and don't be part of the overcrowding, I guess.

Seeing as the loop opens earlier than the reservations are necessary, and you can stay as long as you'd like, it sounds like if you are in the park early enough you don't need any reservations?

People park along Highway 160, outside the loop road, to access certain areas, like First Creek, Mount Wilson and Oak Creek. Traditionally, you could park along the highway for free and for as late as you want.

Now, signs have appeared at the Highway 160 trail heads with the same parking lot closing times as the loop road. This is a very significant change. Looking to epic on a tall route on Mount Wilson? After November 1, you better have things wrapped up and get back to your vehicle by 5pm! There is no late exit permit available for parking along Highway 160.

Honestly, the writing is on the wall - I suspect that these parking lot closing times will be posted at ALL trail heads eventually, including the "Late Night" area (lol!), the Black Velvet area, Calico Basin, etc. in the near future. We shall see...

By the way, the late exit permit for the loop road was reduced from 3 hours to 2 hours.

Masterly sleight of hand. While everyone was distracted by "saving" Red Rock from a private development on the other side of the highway, the real murder plot was being hatched inside.

Paul Morrisonwrote:

Masterly sleight of hand. While everyone was distracted by "saving" Red Rock from a private development on the other side of the highway, the real murder plot was being hatched inside.

That seems rather melodramatic.  The park isn't closing.

I wonder what's going on with the commercial outfits? Do the guiding companies get assigned access automatically or do they have to compete for reservations with the rest of us?

John Hegyeswrote:

I wonder what's going on with the commercial outfits? Do the guiding companies get assigned access automatically or do they have to compete for reservations with the rest of us?

I wonder how much longer the lines are going to get now that they have to deal with reservations in addition to the usual 3 second pass check for most of us.

Matt Wetmorewrote:

Seeing as the loop opens earlier than the reservations are necessary, and you can stay as long as you'd like, it sounds like if you are in the park early enough you don't need any reservations?

That's my conclusion as well.  Doesn't seem feasible to go around checking everyone who entered before 8AM, at that point they mind as well just make all access reserved and deal with it when you're at the booth at 6-8AM.

Clearly the goal here is to temper the spike in crowds that typically start mid-morning.  Frankly, I don't care about any of this.  Most of the time we're heading in when the gate opens anyway.  But I'm mindful and weary of the trend.

This seems like a huge pain - it says nothing of walk-up permits after 8am, and since you can reserve up to 30 days in advance I fear that all weekend hours will be reserved far in advance. Additionally, $2 per reservation? While not substantial, if I already own an annual pass but still have to pay each time I go in, it certainly adds up through the season.

I understand the worry of the crowds, but it really seems like this isn't the solution. Generally if you get to Red Rock on the weekend before ~9am, it's pretty empty. If they need to limit capacity in the afternoons by shutting down entry then that's okay, get there earlier. I just don't see how limiting the entry time is helpful for crowding.

Kyle Smithwrote:

I understand the worry of the crowds, but it really seems like this isn't the solution. Generally if you get to Red Rock on the weekend before ~9am, it's pretty empty. If they need to limit capacity in the afternoons by shutting down entry then that's okay, get there earlier. I just don't see how limiting the entry time is helpful for crowding.

Allowing traffic to back-up into the 159 is not a viable option. It creates hazards for cyclists, runners and other vehicles.

Actual BLM announcement: https://www.blm.gov/press-release/blm-offers-online-passes-timed-entry-reservations-red-rock-canyon-nca-recreationgov

lol imagine paying for your reservation designed to alleviate lines and crowds and wait in line to get into the park then becoming a part of the crowd haha what will bureaucracy think of next with those big ol brains keepin us safe

John Hegyeswrote:

Now, signs have appeared at the Highway 160 trail heads with the same parking lot closing times as the loop road. This is a very significant change. Looking to epic on a tall route on Mount Wilson? After November 1, you better have things wrapped up and get back to your vehicle by 5pm! There is no late exit permit available for parking along Highway 160.

This really sucks.  Even if I would only rarely need a "late" exit from these parking areas, it just seems like an overreach and I find it offensive.  These are not really parking lots, they are unpaved pullouts off a public road.  Highway 160 is a state highway and it seems like there must be some distance from the paved road that is still in the jurisdiction of the state, and not the BLM.  Do you locals think it makes sense to ask the Access Fund to look into this?  

What, closing times for highway pullouts? I didn't notice at oak creek pull off this weekend, but I wasnt paying attention. This is terrible. 

Editing because I have poor reading comprehension. So this doesn't apply to pull offs on 159?