Solutions: Permits versus lines
Madison Fox had heard tickets to see the sunrise on Maine’s Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park would go fast. Cadillac is renowned for being the first place in the continental United States to see the dawning of the day, true for most of winter.
While her partner Justin Scott was checking out of their hotel last September, Fox was on her phone at exactly 10 a.m. paying $6 to see a sunrise two days later. Though she secured a permit, she noticed the majority were already gone.
Scott wasn’t thrilled with the permit idea.
“If we waited until 10:05, we would have missed out on this entire experience,” Scott said later, bundled up on the side of the mountain as dawn emerged. “I’m the ‘more the merrier.’ I think it would be better without a reservation system.”
But Fox had heard the nightmares from pre-permit days. The National Park Service has a video showing summit stewards directing a snaking line of traffic and turning away drivers.
“Here we have a spot and we know we’ll get in, and I did appreciate that,” Fox said.
Nationwide, reservations and permits to gain access to certain trails and attractions are gaining popularity with those charged with its management, including in the Adirondack Park. Land managers say implementing these systems is intended to protect natural resources, while giving the public a safer and more enjoyable experience. But experiences are subjective, and some researchers say permits and reservations do more harm than good.
“I look at visitation upticks as a really good thing, and I think the best way to minimize the burden on wildlife
