Zion National Park Received Record Visitation in 2009

[Iceaxe]

Zion National Park Received Record Visitation in 2009
Date: February 3, 2010
Contact: Ron Terry, 435 772-0160

Zion National Park received a record number of visitors in 2009. Recorded visitation was 2,735,401, representing a 1.7 percent increase over 2008, the previous record year.

A portion of the increase in visitation may be attributed to the park

[tanya]

We had our best year ever at the Thunderbird as well.

[Rented mule]

Most of the visitors are international, too. A good thing. Expand our beautiful region to others who have never ever imagined such stark beauty!
I'm sure Laura Bush selecting Zion may have helped, too.
Thank you Pres. Obama for the free park days, too! Great for folks to visit a park and take a vacation without having to pay.
I once gave a single mom and two boys a ride into the Grand Canyon, north rim because they were on such a tight budget and the wedding they had drove all the way from Canada for ended costing way more than they had.
they were camping outside the park and looking at a side canyon imagining what the main canyon must look like. It was late.... I was tired. sun was beginning to go fast. I asked them to jump into the ol truck and we hauled ass back to the park. The ranger stared at them and grinned a huge smile.
She said He recognized us.... we begged him to let us in just this once.
but, even though he was a sweetheart, he just couldn't do it, he said.
We made it to the overlooks by the lodge and the kids ran down to look at all they could, eyes bugging out! One boy found a flashlight on a rock.
souvenir...hehe

Can't wait to share Zion with some guests coming down during the Vancouver Olympics while their city is under seige. hehe