Zion National Park Considers Entry Reservation System

Above, Zion's Checkerboard Mesa. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

With more and more people visiting Zion National Park in Utah, the National Park Service is considering a reservation system.

According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal:

Like a trendy new restaurant with a long waiting list, getting into Zion National Park might one day require a reservation. 

The National Park Service is considering a year-round online reservation system for access to Zion’s most popular trails and attractions in response to a massive surge in visitation at the park 160 miles northeast of Las Vegas. 

Under one of two “preliminary alternative concepts” unveiled by park officials late last week, visitors would be required to get advance reservations to enter the park. The second, more restrictive alternative also would require reservations to access specific trails and sites within the park.

It is unfortunate that such a system should be necessary, but with congestion a big problem, the National Park Service has to come up with plans to protect the park. Congestion is the big reason that I prefer to visit national parks during the off-season.

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