The other day I was going through the process of counting preference points and applying for tags. With all of the money and effort it takes to draw a tag these days, I started to wonder if we are seeing the demise of the casual outdoorsmen and women.

Is it my imagination, or is it getting more and more difficult to get outside? Earlier this year I tried to book a yurt on the Oregon coast. You can only book out six months in advance. So at 6 a.m. the morning my dates became available, I had my computer up and running. I was too slow.

That experience is becoming pretty normal for anyone trying to get away. Activities that we used to do on a whim are becoming more restricted. More and more campgrounds require reservations or you can’t find a spot.

If you want to take a float trip down the river, you might need to get a permit. If you want to float the really popular rivers like the lower John Day, Rogue,or Salmon rivers, you have to apply for a limited permit, maybe as much as a year in advance.

I understand that it is becoming more common for other outdoor pursuits like rock climbing as well. Even activities like picking mushrooms or shed hunting require a permit or specific season in some states.

Is the weekend warrior a thing of the past? Maybe so. Are all of these new restrictions and laws bad? I do believe that getting outdoors is getting to be more challenging. I grumble about getting tags all the time. It requires more planning these days before you head out the door. You can’t just decide Friday at work to go camping for the weekend.

While I don’t love having to plan a camping trip months in advance, I also believe that the changes to access have an upside as well. I have been on hunts where there were more hunters than deer. I have floated rivers when you could walk from raft to raft clear across the river without getting your feet wet.

The purpose of putting some limits on access is to create a more quality experience when you do head out to participate in your activity. After all, the point of being outdoors is to get away, right?

You may disagree, but I also believe that having to plan activities in advance creates a more intentional and meaningful experience. You tend to not take it for granted.

Instead of going for the day, you plan for a week to maximize the time. Having to plan also increases your chances of actually getting out there. Instead of thinking you can put it off till next weekend but never actually going, you have firm dates that you are planning for.

So go ahead and grumble about it. I still do. But while you’re at it, get out the calendar and book your next outdoor vacation.

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