Sounds to me like Zion NP should consider a more equitable permit system. In the PNW we have an over-hiked sensitive zone known as the Enchantments, and they have a pretty good - at least pretty fair - system for allocating who gets overnight camping permits. Its one per person/group per year. You best apply for your permit in February, and winners are drawn by lottery. You're not guaranteed your preferred dates. However, a certain number of permits are still allocated every day, at 7am or so, also by random drawing of who is present. Folks will also push the permit system at the limits - there has been alot of day hikers who travel through the area without camping (a fairly strenuous dayhike), and that has a definite impact on a fragile area. It will cut back on the number of camping permits allowed, or eventually they'll just not allow day hikers.

Anyway, it cuts down on the anger factor by alot. And I don't think the Park employees come off like Nazis for administering the whole thing by these rules. Everyone gets a fair shot. http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/wenatchee/passes/enchantments/index.shtml.

Maybe Zion's permit system is messed up by commercial, i.e. guide interests. A guide who can only get one permit a year (or week, month, day) doesn't do business in that part of the park. Well, probably these canyons will get so over-used that the park will have to find that traffic unsustainable. Cool down, and write the park ranger, and suggest that their current system is tailored to make people angry. they probably know that, but won't change anything until enough people complain.