HURRICANE, Washington County — Utah’s most popular national park could be too popular for its own good.
In an effort to preserve the wilderness experience, officials at Zion National Park are weighing options to control crowds by possibly capping the number of daily visitors and using a reservation system.
During a meeting Tuesday night in Hurricane, park officials answered questions and gathered input from residents and business owners about the proposed Visitor Use Management Plan.
“It’s a zoo,” Hurricane resident Conrad Walters said of the crowds inside Zion. “The trails are unbelievably crowded in the valley.”
According to park officials, a record 3.66 million people visited Zion in 2015. This year, the park expects to exceed 4 million guests. For comparison, visitation to Zion topped out at 2.6 million in 2010.
Walters says he hates to think of visitors being turned away but agrees that the overcrowding needs to be addressed.
“There’s almost no parking available unless you park in town,” he added.
“Park visitor capacity issues are not new to Zion National Park,” Superintendent Jeff Bradybaugh wrote in an information packet handed out at the meeting. “In 2000, with congressionally appropriated funding, the park implemented the current shuttle bus system.”
Under the proposal, visitor capacities could vary by season and even by specific areas within the park. Also, the park is considering a timed-entry system to stagger access to popular destinations.
Zion spokeswoman Aly Baltrus says all those visitors can damage the park.
“We can't have 4 million people simply stepping off and making their own trail,” Baltrus said. “On sandstone, just a couple of people stepping on the vegetation will reduce it back to sand.”
The uptick in visitors is also affecting the experience for travelers, who have started to complain about long lines, crowded shuttles and packed trails.
“We see people complaining about being right up against somebody. Really all you see is their back as you’re hiking,” Baltrus said.
There are also safety issues, she said, noting that at Angels Landing, "people (are) not being respectful and waiting. In a lot of areas, you can only allow one direction at a time.”
Adding to the congestion, the park’s peak season is not just in the summer anymore. It now starts in the early spring and lasts until the late fall.
“I was amazed at how crowded it was in October,” said Hurricane resident Elizabeth Dansie, who attended the meeting.
While acknowledging that crowding has become a problem, Dansie said she worries about locals who want to visit the park on a whim. She doesn’t want them denied access for not having a reservation.
The meeting in Hurricane was just one of several open houses to gather public input. Three other open house are scheduled for Thursday in Cedar City, Friday in Salt Lake City and Tuesday in Kanab.
For those who cannot attend the meetings, the National Park Service will host a webinar from noon to 1:30 p.m. Monday. The webinar will be open to the first 100 participants who register and will include a formal presentation describing the plan and possible management strategies, followed by a question-and-answer session.
Register for the webinar at nationalparkserviceevents.webex.com. The event number is 660 176 631.
The public is also encouraged to comment on the potential management strategies on the National Park Services’ Planning, Environment and Public Comment website at parkplanning.nps.gov/zion. Comments will be taken through Wednesday, Nov. 23.
Email: legan@deseretnews.com