Overcrowding at Zion

[accadacca]

The Memorial Day holiday weekend is the busiest weekend at Zion National Park. Yesterday, the park recorded more than 30,000 visitors, which may end up being the busiest single day in 2018. Visitation this high puts a strain on park infrastructure and systems, like the shuttle bus.

This photo is the line for the park shuttle that extended all the way into Springdale yesterday. Wait times were 1.5 hours, even though there was a park shuttle loaded and leaving every few minutes.

As we head into the busy summer season, where scenes like this will happen again, it is worth thinking about how to manage the future of Zion. What should be done to protect the visitor experience and safety? What should be done to protect park resources and infrastructure?

In an attempt to answer these questions, the park is developing a Visitor Use Management Plan. We are hoping to release the draft plan by the end of 2018. To read more details of what could be in the plan, including ideas that definitely won't be in the plan, follow this link: https://parkplanning.nps.gov/documen...rojectID=58542

(Via: https://www.facebook.com/zionnps/pho...670658/?type=3)

[Sombeech]

I love Zions

It's interesting, they'll always divulge the number of people during peak season, but they'll rarely admit the amount of money brought in.

[tallsteve]

We drove through the park, from the east side, on our way to St. George, Friday evening. We got through the park just fine and without any delays. Even driving through the tunnel we were 2nd in line and only had to wait for maybe 3 minutes. The line for vehicles waiting to drive through from the west was pretty backed up, however. Of course this was 6pm and I'm guessing a lot of park visitors had already left. It was definitely crowded but, we had no plans to stop anywhere.

[2065toyota]

Went to Canyonlands - Maze District. Maybe seen 30 people in 5 days.

[accadacca]

Yeah Zions is great if you go at the right time. Why go on one of the busiest holiday weekends and then bitch that it was crowded. I will never understand that.

[Iceaxe]

Yeah Zions is great if you go at the right time. Why go on one of the busiest holiday weekends and then bitch that it was crowded. I will never understand that.

I though all banks were closed on Memorial day. Did Zions Bank change that?

[erial]

the ad below the zion photo . . . wanting to share the crowds

[accadacca]

I though all banks were closed on Memorial day. Did Zions Bank change that?

Gotcha! Lol...

Us peeps on Bogley can’t spell and we never get outdoors. I love Yellowstone’s National Park.

[uintafly]

Yeah Zions is great if you go at the right time. Why go on one of the busiest holiday weekends and then bitch that it was crowded. I will never understand that.

Reminds me of my friend who went to Disneyland on Labor Day and whined about crowds.

[rockgremlin]

I though all banks were closed on Memorial day. Did Zions Bank change that?

Zion (without an S) is a National Park.

Zion's (with apostrophe S) is a bank.

Zion is so overcrowded now that it is no longer enjoyable to visit there. I now aggressively avoid it. Sad.

[Iceaxe]

Zion is so overcrowded now that it is no longer enjoyable to visit there. I now aggressively avoid it. Sad.

X2

There was a time in my life whrn I was canyoneering in Zion every other weekend. I haven't canyoneered inside the park for the past 5 years, although I did a lot of surrounding canyons with my daughter in the area while she was attending SUU.