Arches National Park will begin a phased reopening of the Fiery Furnace area next week, following a temporary closure caused by staffing delays tied to a federal hiring freeze earlier this year.
According to the park’s website, self-guided permits will be available starting April 15 through Recreation.gov, with ranger-led hikes set to resume May 4. Beginning May 3, visitors with reserved permits must pick them up in person between 7:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. or 2 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., with all participants present to receive the required orientation.
The Fiery Furnace — a labyrinth of narrow sandstone canyons, fins and natural arches — requires either a ranger-guided hike or a self-guided permit due to its complex terrain and history of visitor disorientation. Access is typically capped at 100 visitors per day to ensure safety and resource protection.
The area was closed on March 23 after the park cited insufficient seasonal staff to support tours and visitor orientations. This shortage followed actions by the Trump administration earlier this year, including the firings of approximately 1,500 National Park Service employees and a hiring freeze that rescinded about 5,000 seasonal job offers.
Although those offers were later reinstated and new positions were authorized, the delays disrupted onboarding timelines, impacting spring operations at Arches and other national parks.
The reopening comes in the wake of an April 3 directive from Interior Secretary Doug Burgum requiring the National Park Service to keep all park units “open and accessible” during their posted hours. The order states that any closures or reductions to operating hours, seasons or visitor services — including trails and campgrounds — must be reviewed in advance by the NPS director and the Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks.
It also directs the Interior Department to ensure that parks are adequately staffed to meet operational needs and mandates reports on operating hours, service reductions and staffing levels at every park unit.
Arches spokesperson Karen Henker was not immediately available for further comment on if the directive influenced the decision to reopen Fiery Furnace or on current staffing levels. Earlier Thursday, however, Henker reiterated the park’s priorities in a written statement.
“We work regularly with leadership at the Department of the Interior to inform them of significant changes to public access,” she wrote. “We remain committed to balancing public access with resource protection and visitor safety.”
Critics of Burgum’s directive, including the National Parks Conservation Association, warn it could delay urgent decisions by local park managers, worsen already strained staffing conditions and jeopardize visitor safety and resource protection.
“This order is reckless and out of touch,” Kristen Brengel, the association’s senior vice president for government affairs, said in a statement.
Park advocates have also questioned how employees can realistically comply with the order given recent workforce reductions. They also say fewer workers can mean shorter hours, closed campgrounds, reduced maintenance and increased safety risks, depending on conditions at each park, the Associated Press reported.
Visitors planning to explore the Fiery Furnace are advised to check the park’s official website for the most current information and to ensure compliance with permit requirements and pick-up times.
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