Infos zum Zion NP

South Campground Goes To Reservation System
Both Watchman and South Campgrounds can be reserved

Zitat

South Campground will open on March 1, 2018 as a reservations only campground. Reservations can be made two weeks prior to arrival, and can be made by going to http://www.recreation.gov or by calling (877) 444-6777.

South Campground is located ½ mile from the Park’s South Entrance, within walking distance to the Visitor Center and shuttles. There are 117 campsites, including three sites that are wheelchair accessible. Individual campsites are $20 per night, and $50 per night for group sites. There is potable water and a dump station on site, but no electrical or sewer hook-ups available in South Campground. Generators are allowed to run from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The maximum recommended RV height is 12 feet, 6 inches (3.84 meters), due to overhanging tree limbs. Check-in is any time after 12:00 p.m. and check-out is at 11:00 a.m. There is a maximum 14 day stay during the reservation season.

Link

Springdale implements new parking meter program

Zitat

Starting in mid-April, there will be no free parking in Springdale for Zion National Park visitors looking to park in town and ride the town shuttle to the park entrance. Visitors will have to pay for parking at one of several privately-owned lots or at any of 40-45 parking meters the town is installing along its two major streets.

hese changes are expected to be in place by the time the Utah Department of Transportation has finished reconstructing state Route 9/Zion Park Boulevard, which is slated for completion on April 15.
Parking meter rates will be $1 for the first hour, $3.50 for each additional hour with a daily maximum of $22, Dansie said. These rates are, by design, slightly higher than the rates charged by the private lots in town.
“We want to encourage people to park in off-street parking first,” Dansie said. “Our goal is to have those lots fill up first.”
The meters will alternate on either side of SR-9/Zion Park Boulevard between the park entrance and the town’s post office. From Holiday Inn and LaFave Gallery going south, street parking will only be on the west side of the street. To help promote a pedestrian friendly atmosphere as well as for better safety, the new parking program provides for no street parking between the post office and Holiday Inn/LaFave Gallery.
There will be parking on both sides of the street up Lion Boulevard.
Parking at the meters will be parallel only and there will be no tourist parking available on residential side streets, which either have no parking whatsoever or require a residential parking permit.
“The unfortunate thing is we’ve been forced into this by parking congestion the last three years,” said Springdale Community Development Director Tom Dansie.

Calling the former parking chaos an “unsustainable situation,” Dansie said he realizes parking will now be less convenient for visitors.
Springdale town leaders felt the new system is necessary, both to control where people park in town and to raise money for future transportation projects.
Unfortunately there has been a misperception that the new parking system is somehow designed to be a cash cow filling Springdale Town’s coffers, but UDOT actually prohibits the town from doing that, Dansie said. Even if the town could do it, he added, it wouldn’t because it is fully focused on improving the town’s transportation situation.
In a nutshell, the Springdale community sees this project as a way to build for a better transportation future, Dansie said.
Parking meter revenue is projected to be between $800,000 and $1 million annually and will cover salaries of parking enforcement personnel and any other administrative and capital costs. Any remaining balance of meter revenue will go towards future transportation projects such as sidewalk and transportation improvements in town, the construction of remote park-and-ride lots and a St. George-to-Springdale shuttle route – the prospect of such a shuttle is gaining steam, Springdale Mayor Stan Smith said in the most recent Town Council meeting.
The town hired one parking enforcement operator during a 90-day pilot project last summer and will need to hire one more person to assist. Staffing needs could change, Dansie said, and they may need to hire additional parking enforcement personnel in the future.
The town also contracted with a company called Parkeon as the vendor for the parking meters. Dansie mentioned in the last Town Council meeting that Parkeon is well established within the parking industry, has an excellent reputation and good customer service.

Two new private parking lots will be available for the upcoming tourist season:
One is a 95-space lot at the intersection of Balanced Rock Road and SR-9, which was originally planned as a two-tier parking structure; but due to setbacks in timelines because of clay underneath the site and scheduling concerns, the developer was not ready to build a parking structure this season, according to recorded minutes of the Jan. 17 planning commission meeting.
That plan to build a parking structure could still come to fruition at some point, but for now the town and developer decided it would be best just to construct a surface lot, which would be much faster way to increase the town’s parking capacity in the immediate.
The second new private parking lot is located next to LaFave Gallery. It will have 30 spaces and include restrooms.
Other private lots that were in operation last season are across the street from Cable Mountain Lodge near the park’s south entrance, one up Lion Boulevard west of Zion Adventure Company and one behind Whiptail Grill.

Alles anzeigen

Link

Hier auch die Info dazu vom National Park Service:

Kolob Canyons to Close for Construction Projects

Zitat

Access to portions of the Kolob Canyon District of Zion National Park will be restricted due to a construction project beginning May 1, 2018. The project involves reconstructing sections of the road, repaving the entire road, and adding accessible parking, sidewalk, and toilet facilities. All of Kolob Canyon Road, the Visitor Center and parking lot off of Interstate 15, will be closed to all traffic during the seven month project. The Taylor Creek Trail, the Timber Creek Overlook Trail, Lee Pass Trailhead and other areas served via the Kolob Canyons Road will not be available to the public.

Overnight permitted hikes will be drop off / pick up only, from April 15 through April 30, 2018. No vehicles or hiking will be permitted inside the closure beginning May 1, 2018.
Construction engineers and Park officials have determined that closing these areas during the project will be safest for visitors and workers, as well as expediting the work, so the area may open at the soonest possible date.

Visitors will be able to access the La Verkin Creek Trail and hike to the Kolob Arch via the Hop Valley Trail. Visitors may access the Hop Valley Trailhead from the Kolob Terrace Road. Overnight trips require a permit. There are many surrounding State Parks, Forest Service and public land scenic areas to consider as alternatives to Kolob Canyons during this closure.

Link

It’s not art, it’s vandalism: Graffiti found in Zion prompts reminder to ‘leave no trace’

Zitat

A recent example of graffiti left on a rock face in Zion National Park has prompted park officials to remind visitors of the permanent impact of vandalism in Utah’s most-visited national park.
The latest example of graffiti features triangular etchings in a rock face. Information about exactly when and where the graffiti was found in the park was not immediately available to St. George News.
In a social media post Sunday, the park service said this and other examples of graffiti do not qualify as artistic expression.
“As important as artistic expression is, we do not want to deface the natural resources of our beautiful public lands,” the post reads. “No matter how small or superficially drawn, graffiti in the park is vandalism.
“Humans have been leaving their marks on rock walls for thousands of years in this region. But these days, writing on the walls isn’t necessary, and in a national park, it’s illegal.”
Those found guilty of vandalism could face stiff penalties, including possible jail time and thousands of dollars in fines.
The park service calls graffiti a “growing problem for many national parks.” Just last month, a person who allegedly admitted to defacing a rock face in the park was cited.
Graffiti removal is an expensive, time-intensive effort conducted by park rangers and volunteers. Depending on the type of graffiti, brushes and spray bottles may be enough to remove it, but grinders and sledge hammers may be required for more severe vandalism.
Even after the graffiti is removed, the rock is still discolored, and, according to the park service, “will never be the same.”
Part of the National Park Service’s stated mission is to “preserve unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the national park system for the enjoyment, education and inspiration of this and future generations.”

As such, the park encourages visitors to “take only photographs” and “leave no trace.”

Alles anzeigen

Link

Hidden Canyon Trail Closed

Due to a rockfall, the Hidden Canyon Trail is closed until further notice. All other trails are open.

Link

Zion's Hidden Canyon Trail still closed after rockfalls

Zitat

A trail at Utah's Zion National Park remains closed after a second rockfall occurred in the area in two days.
Park spokeswoman Aly Baltrus said the Hidden Canyon Trail would stay shuttered on the July 4 holiday and at least through Thursday until a hazard geologist can examine the area and the trail can be cleared.
The park's website says it would stay closed further notice.
A rockfall first occurred Monday afternoon in a 45-foot section of the strenuous trail where hikers must hold onto chains. A second rockfall occurred Tuesday.
No injuries occurred in either incident.

Link

Flooding causes damage, closes roads and trails at Zion National Park

Zitat

Authorities at Zion National Park have closed several trails and roads due to flooding from severe storms that are moving through southern Utah.

More rain is expected in the area Thursday afternoon.
According to Zion National Park, the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway (S.R 9) is closed from Canyon Junction East Entrance due to rock falls and flood damage.

Around 7 a.m., the park tweeted that storm damage closed Zion Canyon Scenic Drive at Grotto. Work on the road is causing delays for shuttles, which are running but turning around at the Grotto.
Trials past the pedestrian trails Grotto are also closed.
Around 9 a.m., park authorities said rock falls and flooding prompted the closure of the Kayneta Trail and the Middle and Upper Emerald pools. The trails were closed until further notice.

Link mit Bildern

Zion National Park closes several trails indefinitely following flash floods, rockfalls

Zitat

Zion National Park announced it has closed several trails indefinitely.
Recent rockfalls and flash floods have caused substantial damage to the trails, which have made them unusable.
Angels Landing, Upper Emerald Pools and the Kayenta trail have been closed.
On July 11, rainfall produced the largest flood since 2011. This increased the flow volume of the river by nearly 200 times, according to Zion National Park.
As of now, the park warns visitors to not enter any narrow canyon when there is a chance of rain or a possibility of a flood.
Even low chances of rain have caused damage and dangerous conditions in the canyons.
When a flash flood warning is issued, all slot canyons and the Narrows are closed. Zion National Park warned visitors in a Facebook post to have a backup plan if they want to hike the Narrows.

Alles anzeigen

Link

Ich befürchte, manche Trails im Zion bleiben noch eine Zeit geschlossen.

Zion National Park trails remain closed after storm

Der Hidden Canoyn ist zurzeit wieder wegen Steinschlags geschlossen - und könnte es auch noch was bleiben.

More popular trails in Zion National Park close due to flooding, rockfall

Zion reopens one trail damaged by rockfalls; others remain closed

Zitat

Zion National Park reopened the popular Hidden Canyon Trail on Thursday, declaring the trail safe after it had been damaged by rockfalls caused by recent thunderstorms.
Several other trails that were damaged in the storms remain closed, including the Upper Emerald Pools and Kayenta trails and a portion of the West Rim Trail.
“The natural canyon-forming process is active every day in Zion,” Superintendent Jeff Bradybaugh said in a written statement. “We ask visitors to heed all warnings, to pay attention to their surroundings and be careful.”
Park managers closed Hidden Canyon on July 21, citing "active rock falls."
It was the second time in a month the trail had been closed, with a separate spate of rockfalls forcing a closure in early July.
A number of trails and other facilities have been closed at varying dates throughout the month, with monsoonal summer thunderstorms hitting the park particularly hard this year.
A July 11 storm forced multiple trails to close when they were hit by rockfalls and mudslides, and officials said that while other trails remained open, a majority had received at least some damage.
The same storm forced a temporary closure of the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway. Mudslides that covered the roadway left some motorists stranded for hours as they waited for road crews to dig them out.

Alles anzeigen

Link

It's tarantula season at Zion National Park

Zitat

Visitors at Zion National Park should keep their eyes open for some creepy crawlers that are beginning to make appearances.
Officials say in summer through fall tarantulas can be seen lumbering around the park.
"Despite their movie portrayals as being terrifying and dangerous, the desert tarantula is actually a very docile and interesting creature," a post on Zion National Park's Facebook page stated.
They say like most wildlife, they won't bother you if you don't bother them. Their venom is non-toxic to humans. Park officials suggest visitors just give them a little space.

Link

Auf dem Hidden Trail im Zion NP ist man zurzeit etwas sehr gefährdet:

Hikers retrieved by helicopter after rockfalls in Zion National Park

Zitat

Rescue crews had to fly out a group of hikers by helicopter on Tuesday after a rockfall forced Zion National Park to close its popular Hidden Canyon trail.
It was the third time in a little more than a month that the park has had to close the trail, which winds between towering red rock cliff sides just a few miles up from the park's main roadway. In some areas, the hike requires visitors to grasp chains as they scale the canyon walls.
Nine visitors were temporarily trapped behind the rockfall, although no injuries were reported, according to a release from the park.
Zion's search and rescue team and a helicopter crew from the Grand Canyon National Park helped to transport all of the visitors safely out of the canyon, according to the release.
The trail was slated to remain closed for at least a week while staff monitored the area for more potential rock falls. Members of the U.S. Geological Survey responded to the rockfall site as well.
The incident marked the third time since the start of July that rocks had fallen on the trail.
The first rockfall was reported July 2, followed by another July 3. The park closed the trail for several days afterward.
It was closed again July 21 after another report of falling rocks, shortly after flooding that forced the closure of multiple trails throughout the park. It was reopened on July 26.

Alles anzeigen

Link

Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway to close for 2 half days to repair damage from July storm

Zitat

Zion National Park officials announced Wednesday that the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway through the park, connecting state Route 9 between Springdale and Mt. Carmel Junction will be temporarily closed Sept. 5 and 6 from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. for emergency repairs to the asphalt roadway and historic road guard walls.
The roadway and guard walls were damaged in several places on July 11 when a monsoonal storm pounded the park with 3 inches of rain in three hours.

The road repairs are necessary to help prevent further damage to these structures.
Alternate east and west routes are available via state Route 59 from Hurricane to Fredonia, Arizona, and state Route 14 from Cedar City to Long Valley Junction and U.S. Route 89.
All park facilities – including the visitor center, museum, campgrounds and shuttle buses – will be open and operating as normal in Zion Canyon.

Link

Angels Landing trail reopening in Zion National Park after months of repairs

Zitat

The West Rim Trail, including the route to Angels Landing, will reopen at 8 a.m. Saturday after undergoing trail repairs from a severe thunderstorm in July.
The popular trail has been closed since an intense thunderstorm on July 11 caused flooding, mudslides and rockfalls.
The heavy rainfall caused major damage in the area of Refrigerator Canyon on the West Rim Trail, which visitors pass to and from on their way to Angels Landing. A section of retaining wall failed, as did several protective check dams that were built over 100 years ago to protect the trail.
The flash flood opened an 18-foot gap in the trail that was over 5 feet deep.
To reopen the passage to Scouts Lookout, Zion’s trail crew stabilized both ends of the trail and built a new custom bridge to span a 30-foot section where the trail and the retaining wall had been damaged or washed away. The crew also built four new check dams to protect the trail from future storms.
“We appreciate the public’s patience as we’ve worked to recover from substantial storm damage, and I applaud the efforts of the park’s trail crew who worked tirelessly to re-build the trail structures through Refrigerator Canyon” park superintendent Jeff Bradybaugh said in a press release.
Shuttles will resume dropping off and picking up passengers at the Grotto Shuttle Stop.
The Kayenta trail, Upper Emerald Pools trail, the terminus of Lower Emerald Pools trail and Hidden Canyon trail remain closed. Park staff and engineers continue to identify strategies to repair or re-route the trails safely. Closures are being enforced due to unstable and unreliable trail integrity.

Alles anzeigen

Link

ZION NARROWS TOP-DOWN ACCESS RESTRICTIONS

Zitat

Effective immediately, Zion National Park has stopped issuing Wilderness permits to hike the Zion Narrows from North to South (“top-down”). This includes the 16-mile one-way day hike and all overnight use.

The route from the Chamberlain Ranch Trailhead to the park boundary crosses private land and the landowner has recently closed it to public access. “Private Property, No Trespassing” signs have been posted.

Day hiking from the Temple of Sinawava at the end of the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive (accessible by park shuttle) is open to hiking north to Big Spring within the Narrows. Upstream travel from Big Spring is not allowed.

Zion National Park hopes to work with the landowner to resolve this situation.

Alles anzeigen

Link

Zion National Park Again Issuing Narrows Permits

Zitat

Zion National Park has resumed issuing permits for the top - down Zion Narrows route for day hikes and overnight use. The permitted route will reopen the morning of Saturday, September 29, 2018. Permits for day use and Narrows backcountry camping reservations can be picked up at the park visitor center.

A temporary recreational access license has been granted to Washington County through the end of 2018. “We greatly appreciate the goodwill of the landowners and the efforts of the Washington County Commission in quickly resolving access concerns at the entrance to the Virgin River Narrows,” said Jeff Bradybaugh, Zion National Park Superintendent. Discussions are ongoing to secure a more permanent solution.

Day hiking from the Temple of Sinawava at the end of the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive (accessible by park shuttle) is open to hiking north to Big Spring within the Narrows without a permit.

Link