SALT LAKE CITY — Tourists hoping to leave their homes during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis by visiting Bryce Canyon National Park will have to reschedule their trips.
On Monday evening, the national park’s superintendent Linda Mazzu announced all areas of the park will close Tuesday at 5 p.m. until further notice, according to a news release from the National Park Service.
The decision was made after the National Park Service received a letter from the Southwest Utah Public Health Department recommending the park’s closure, the news release stated. Mazzu’s decision to close was supported by David Vela, of the National Park Service, and Interior Secretary David Bernhardt.
“Continued visitation to Bryce Canyon made it hard to maintain the thresholds needed to ensure a safe visit, which is why this temporary closure is so important,” Mazzu said in a prepared statement.
As more deaths mount in Utah and cases of coronavirus continue to grow, Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert and the Garfield County Commission also sought to close the stunning red rock attraction.
Before Mazzu’s announcement, Garfield County Commissioners issued a statement supporting the park’s closure.
An announcement early on Monday of the possible closure of the park came as park officials, joined by the Garfield County Commission, said they want to follow the intent of Herbert’s “stay safe, stay home” directive.
”We have been working closely with Garfield County and the state of Utah to follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as the state’s ‘stay home, stay safe’ order,” Mazzu said. “I’d like to express my appreciation to Garfield County for taking the initial steps in this process.”
A brief press release said the Garfield County commissioners have heard “the voices of their constituents” and are honoring their request for a temporary closure to ensure the public safety of local residents.
The move comes after the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area announced boat ramps would be closed Monday and those vessels moored would have to stay at the docks. Recreational fishing is still allowed from the shore, as well as swimming, but with social distancing measures practiced.
Zion National Park closed last week at the request of neighboring communities, and several other recreation destinations also are closed, including Arches, Canyonlands, Hovenweep and Natural Bridges national monuments.
Capitol Reef remains open, but its campground and visitor center are closed.
Utah’s state parks are restricted to camping to residents of the counties where they are located.