Some of the hottest permits and reservations for summer outdoor adventures at home and abroad are being procured now, in the chill of winter. To prevent overcrowding and resource damage, government agencies are using online systems to manage intense competition for the most popular attractions as well as for booking campsites. Of course, countless desirable destinations can be explored without reservations or fees in North America’s vast expanses of public lands. But snooze during winter and you lose the chance to be among the chosen few who will be, say, rafting Idaho’s Selway River this summer, camping at the Bartoo Island group site at Priest Lake, or hiking a long stretch of the Pacific...
