2023-09-27, 03:45 PM
(2023-09-27, 03:14 PM)DVexile Wrote: The online only aspect is definitely annoying due to poor cell availability in the park. At the same time, I know folks entering from the west were extremely annoyed you had to drive all the way to Furnace Creek to get a Cottonwood/Marble campsite permit.
You can get permits at the Stovepipe wells ranger station (if they're open). Though they have to call Furnace creek and verify a spot is available. If you need a permit for Greenwater road, then you're facing a long drive no matter what and you may get to a ranger station and find out there aren't any spots available.
There's no doubt the park's current system for reserving these designated backcountry spots is inadequate. But switching to online only seems like they'd be going from a slow inconvenient system that worked, to a system that doesn't work at all for people who are already inside the park. I really hope they can come up with some other way of doing it.