The pilot permit program is a result of lessons learned from metering the number of hikers on the trail in $2019$ and $2021,$ and from distributing tickets for the park shuttle system in response to COVID$-19$ in $2020.$ Zion National Park issues $900$ permits daily, but experiences an influx of up to $2000$ hikers on holiday weekends. According to the Park's visitor use manager, McPartland, the ideal number of hikers per day is $800.$