Finding a place to park in Zion National Park wasn't a problem when Wes Hardy and Ernest Winder grew up in neighboring Springdale during the 1930s.
It wasn't a problem when Winder moved away in 1943.It's a problem now.
Facilities designed in the late 1950s for a maximum visitation of 1 million will serve nearly 3 million visitors this year - a 7 percent increase from 1992.
The park's popularity has created chaos for concessionaires and in-park operators and inconvenience for visitors. The most important consideration, however, is the impact on the national park.
"We have some real tender spots in our heart for Zion," Hardy said. Winder agreed, reminiscing about deep family ties to the region surrounding the Virgin River.
"I used to live where that campground was," he said, gesturing to the patchwork map of the valley leading to Zion Canyon. "I was down there in July . . .there was no parking at Weeping Rock."
Hardy and Winder, both of Sandy, were among those who turned out for an informational meeting sponsored by the National Park Service Thursday. The Salt Lake meeting was the final of four gatherings throughout the state designed to educate the public about a proposal to regulate visitation in Zion Canyon. A mandatory shuttle system is part of that plan.
Like Winder and Hardy, most who participated Thursday supported the concept of the quieter, more efficient shuttles; it's the logistics they question.
"I don't believe we've received a negative comment," said Denny Davies, chief of interpretation for the park. "People are saying we've got to do something."
How the proposal sits with bus drivers, tour leaders and other park visitors is of key concern to John Shafer, general manager of the Utah Parks Division of TW Recreational Services, the primary in-park concessionaire at Zion and other Western parks.
Shafer says the shuttle should begin and end at the TW-operated Zion Lodge, located halfway up Zion Canyon, contrary to the park service's primary proposal and its three alternatives. In all applicable cases, the shuttle service starts outside the canyon.
Only 40 percent of park visitors bother turning off U-9 into Zion Canyon, the focal point of the park, Shafer said. The complications of a shuttle system based outside the canyon could cut that figure even more, he said.
"They're not going to do it," he said. "We're going to lose people. They're going to miss out on the most spectacular part of the park."
Many bus drivers agree.
"We're glad to see some direction. Zion has been chaotic," said A. Oscar Olson, a bus driver for Provo-based Lake Shore Motor Coach. However, Olson and fellow driver Marvin Dielmann both say the proposal poses scheduling difficulties for the already complicated process of touring the park.
"They just won't do it if it is too much hassle," Shafer said.
"If a tour leader sees a threat to his schedules, that's exactly what will happen," Olson agreed.
The deadline for written comments regarding the shuttle proposal is Friday, Dec. 24. A final decision is due in June 1994. Funding has not been secured for the $29 million project but could come from a fee increase or direct federal appropriation, Davies said.
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(Additional information)
Agency considers several solutions
The National Park Service has created a primary proposal and three alternatives aimed at lessening the impact of increased visitation at Zion National Park.
The project is still in the conceptual stage and the final decision may involve a hybrid of the strategies.
A detailed description of the plan is available from the park service. The deadline for written comment regarding the proposal is Friday, Dec. 24.
- No-action alternative: Vehicles are allowed on the Zion Canyon road year-round. Visitor center remains in its present location and is open during the peak season. Campgrounds provide 381 spaces, shared between RVs, groups and tent campers.
- Alternative one: Park gates are closed when visitation reaches capacity. The campgrounds are redesigned with reserved campsites. The visitor center remains in its present location, but business hours are restricted.
- Alternative two: A mandatory shuttle system operates during peak season from a staging area in Springdale. The visitor center is expanded by relocating existing administrative offices. All campgrounds are closed, leaving no developed camping areas inside park boundaries.
- Proposal: The visitor center is moved to the existing Watchman Campground, resulting in a decrease of some 150 park campsites. Campsites are designated for RV, tent and group use. A mandatory shuttle runs every 15 minutes from a staging area at the visitors center. Employee housing and a maintenance building are added.