Coronavirus: National Parks May Be Best and Safest Bet

Above, the east entrance into the Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Today must be "Utah day" when it comes to blog posts concerning travel to the state's national parks. This is the third one in a row.

The source for this posting is from the Salt Lake Tribune on Utah being the "best and safest bet" for people who want to take a vacation trip, considering the travel limits imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

They wrote:

Stan Smith has been around Springdale for nearly 40 years, observing the highs and lows of the scenic southern Utah town at the mouth of Zion Canyon. 

A longtime hotel operator, the Springdale mayor is not too worried about the international travel restrictions announced recently to slow the spread of coronavirus in the United States. He expects the coming decline in European and Asian visitors to Zion National Park to be offset by Utahns and other Americans looking to revamp their spring travel plans in the face of the pandemic gripping the globe and forcing the suspension of sports, concerts, festivals, church services and other events that draw lots of people into close quarters. 

Exploring the great outdoors, including Utah's national parks, may now be the safest vacation bet, reasoned Smith, whose livelihood depends on the nearby park. 

One of the crown jewels of the National Park Service, Zion has seen exploding visitation over the past decade reaching a record 4.9 million visitors last year, prompting many to wonder if reduced crowds may be what the park actually needs right now.

To read more, go here.