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. 

Coronavirus: Even Utah Has The Jitters

Above, Checkerboard Mesa in Zion National Park Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Utah's tourism industry is concerned about any possible impacts from the coronavirus.

Tourism is one of Utah's biggest industries and the Governor has declared a state of emergency.

According to the St. George News:

ST. GEORGE — Locations in southwest Utah were among the top five most visited by tourists in 2018. Tourism is one of the state’s major industries and there are concerns that the continuing spread of the coronavirus will negatively impact the industry. 

The St. George, Springdale and Cedar City area ranked second, third and fourth place among the most visited places in 2018, according to the Utah Tourism Office. They were sandwiched between the Salt Lake City and Provo/Orem areas listed at first and fifth place. 

Tourism overall brought $9.75 billion to Utah in 2018. In Washington County, dollars spent by tourists who stay in Washington County were estimated to bring in $600 million annually, according to Kevin Lewis, director of the Greater Zion Convention and Tourism Office. 

On Friday, Gov. Gary Herbert declared a state of emergency in preparation of COVID-19 cases in Utah. The Utah Department of Health announced the same day that the state had its first confirmed case of COVID-19. The health department reported the patient, who lives in Davis County, contracted the virus while on the Grand Princess cruise ship.

To read more, go here. 

Redesign Zion National Park's South Entrance To Get Vehicles In Faster

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

Zion National Park is Utah's most popular national park, but this popularity is putting a major strain on the road from Springdale, Utah.

According to the St. George News:

ST. GEORGE — Hoping to reduce traffic in Springdale and get visitors into the park faster, the National Park Service is working on a redesign of Zion National Park’s south entrance. Proposed plans are currently open to public comment. 

Record amounts of visitors to the park have put a strain on existing infrastructure, leading to higher wait times to enter Utah’s most popular national park. 

On one of the park’s busiest days of the year in 2016, the South Entrance Fee Station had a demand of 324 vehicles per hour, but the current fee station configuration only allows for approximately 194 vehicles per hour to be processed. 

During the busiest times of the year, wait times on weekends and holidays can be as long as an hour as cars form half-mile-long lines extending into neighboring Springdale, resulting in both visitor frustration and large amounts of vehicle exhaust, according to the park service.

The last time we visited Zion National Park, we came in through the east entrance that took us through the Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel.

To read more, go here. 

Springdale Feeling The Growth of Zion's Popularity

Above, Utah State Route 9 in Zion National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Hordes of visitors to Utah's Zion National Park are taking a toll on the State Route 9 through the towns of Springdale and Rockville.

The Department of Transportation is taking steps to refurbishing the highway.

KUTV reported:

(KUTV) For years the roads leading to Zion National Park have been slowly weathering away due to the millions of visitors come to the park every year. 

Rockville and Springdale, Utah, are two cities impacted, especially during tourist season. The Utah Department of Transportation is currently working on a two-phase project that will give State Route 9, and the five-mile stretch of road going through the cities and park a face lift. 

Project manager with UDOT, Chris Hall, said it will cost between $12 to 14 million to complete the whole two-phase project. Phase one starts in Rockville.

To read more, go here.