It seems that is basically what they actually did do. There are trails in the vicinity, such as trails in the Newberry Crater area, that are unrestricted. The restrictions apply to the most popular areas, such as the immediate vicinity of the Three Sisters. And even among the restricted trails, permits for the less popular hikes, such as Sisters Mirror Lake, are readily available. Given the quotas at each trailhead, the natural thing is for hikers to get a permit for a less popular hike if the popular trailhead is unavailable.Aimless wrote: ↑November 10th, 2021, 11:04 am
If they wished to simply redistribute hikers more evenly, rather than reduce their numbers, then adding restrictions on every point of access on every day of the primary hiking season ignores the realities of human behavior. Presumably, if they had kept access freely available at less popular trailheads and on the less popular days of the week, then hikers would have redistributed themselves voluntarily.
If you want to take a nice hike in the Bend/Sisters/Central Oregon area, there are lots of opportunities. If you want to go to Green Lakes, Tam MacArthur, or the Obsidian area, you will face some restrictions, particularly on weekends in August.