ST. GEORGE — Wilderness and camping enthusiasts in Southern Utah’s national parks will have a say on proposed fee increases as public comment is being accepted through Aug. 31.
Fees for campsites and wilderness recreation permits are being considered for Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park.
Those wishing to comment can do so by accessing the Park Planning and Environmental Compliance website.
Zion National Park Spokesman Jonathan Shafer told St. George News none of the proposals would not affect the Angels Landing Pilot Permit Program. The potential campground and wilderness fees would assist with continuing services for campgrounds and backcountry safety.
“We hope this proposal will help us continue to provide essential services. These services range from removing trash to servicing restrooms to orienting visitors when they arrive at campgrounds,” Shafer said. “In 2021, throughout the park, Zion staff removed more than 30,000 bags of trash and recycling that weighed almost 2,000 tons.”
Zion National Park has been issuing permits for wilderness recreation for decades. Shafer said the Zion Wilderness Stewardship Plan explains the management actions used to protect the park’s Congressional-designated wilderness, including issuing permits.
In a news release, Jeff Bradybaugh, superintendent of Zion National Park, said the fee dollars do great things for visitors at the park.
“These funds help us maintain essential facilities like restrooms and drinking water systems, rehabilitate campsites and ensure rangers are available to patrol trails, canyoneering routes and other wilderness areas,” Bradybaugh said.
Zion National Park issues day-use wilderness permits for technical canyoneering or hiking. Popular wilderness routes include the Left Fork — Subway from the bottom up and single-day trips in the Virgin River Narrows from the top down.
Shafer said the park issues overnight use permits for activities like backpacking and camping in wilderness, including for the Virgin River Narrows going from the top down.
“This proposal is intended to improve our Wilderness Recreation Permit system. These proposals are just that, at this point, proposals,” Shafer said. “We’re glad to have the opportunity to receive comments, and we are going to consider changes prior to the proposals’ possible implementation.”
Zion National Park fees for campgrounds have remained the same since 2015. And the costs for the wilderness permit have stayed the same since 2016. Shafter said the park increased in visitation from 2016, when it recorded about 3.6 million visits, to 2021, when Zion National Park recorded more than 5 million visits, the most in its history.
Shafer said increased visitation has correlated with greater demand for campsites and the need for facility maintenance services such as cleaning restrooms, removing recyclables and trash and servicing roads and campsites.
“Rising visitation has also increased stress on the plants, animals, and historic sites in Zion Wilderness,” Shafer said. “Rangers who issue wilderness permits guide so visitors can complete their trips safely and use techniques to conserve these areas. That guidance ensures the park’s least developed areas remain wild.”
The proposed changes will ensure Zion National Park can continue to steward public health and provide enjoyable experiences for visitors who stay in campgrounds and recreate in the wilderness. Shafer added the park is developing a plan to improve the South Campground and the entire South Entrance Area. He said the park is using the public comments on design concepts from 2022 to finalize construction plans and anticipates sharing these plans later in 2023.
Bryce Canyon National Park officials say they are also experiencing visitation pains. The park requests public comment on three proposals to address discrepancies in campsite reservations, fees, and access to full moon hike programs.
Acting Bryce Canyon National Park Superintendent Allana Olbrich said in an email to St. George News that the proposed changes would allow Bryce Canyon visitors to plan their visit better and help ensure that the park is maintained for generations.
“Whether we’re making critical repairs to trails and facilities or hiring additional park rangers, fee dollars help us maintain and enhance the Bryce Canyon visitor experience,” Olbrich said.
BJ Cluff, chief of interpretation, education, fees and partnerships at Bryce Canyon National Park, said that 80 percent of fee revenues are reinvested directly into Bryce Canyon National Park to benefit park visitors.
“Recently, these fees have funded the replacement of campground picnic tables, trail rehabilitation projects, new wayside exhibits throughout the park, and operation of the park’s shuttle system,” Cluff said in a news release. “Future fee-funded projects include upgrades to campsite tent pads, park facility maintenance, and additional interpretive and education programs.”
Bryce Canyon National Park Proposals
Proposal 1: Standardize campground reservations
Bryce Canyon recommends that campsite reservations for both North and Sunset campgrounds be available through recreation.gov.
Currently, Sunset Campground sites are first-come, first-served from mid-May-October. Sunset’s group site is reservable 12 months in advance through recreation.gov and the campground is closed in winter. North Campground sites are already reservable May-October, six months in advance on recreation.gov. North Campground is first-come, first-served in winter months.
To offer visitors a more predictable planning experience, Sunset Campground sites would become reservable during their regular season six months in advance through recreation.gov. Group site reservations would remain available 12 months in advance. North Campground’s reservation system would remain unchanged.
Proposal 2: Standardize developed campground reservation fees
Bryce Canyon recommends that North and Sunset campground reservations move to a flat fee of $30 per night.
Currently, park campground loops are either designated for tents or RVs and tents. In RV loops, sites cost $30 per night. In tent-only loops, sites cost $20 per night. This fee structure was established in 2015.
Cost comparison of fees at surrounding campgrounds, confusion over which vehicles are permitted in which loops and RV hookups are not available at any park campsites all support moving to a flat fee of $30 per night. Generators would still be prohibited in traditional tent-only loops and generators would continue to be subject to limited operating hours in traditional RV loops.
Senior Pass and Access Pass holders would continue to receive a 50% discount on all campsite reservation fees.
Proposal 3: Full Moon hike online registration
Bryce Canyon recommends that registration for its popular full moon hike program be available through recreation.gov.
Cluff said presently, visitors hoping to attend a full moon hike must be physically present at the Visitor Center at 4 p.m. on the day of the trek for a ticket lottery. Then 25 individuals are selected for each hike and must return to the park hours later to participate.
He said to offer visitors a more predictable planning experience, first-come, first-served full moon hike registration would become available through recreation.gov. a few days before the hike. A $1 fee would be charged to cover the online registration cost.
Bryce Canyon National Park campground reservations
• Sunset Campground sites would become reservable mid-May through October six months in advance through recreation.gov.
• North Campground sites would remain reservable mid-May into October six months in advance through recreation.gov and first-come, first-served in winter months.
Campground fee
All sites in North and Sunset campgrounds would move to a flat fee of $30 per night.
Full moon hikes
In-person, same-day lottery would be replaced with advance online registration through recreation.gov.
Public comments on proposed fee increases for Bryce Canyon National Park must be submitted online at National Park Service — ParkPlanning — Proposed Changes to Campground and Full Moon Hike Reservations at Bryce Canyon National Park (nps.gov)
Comments can also be dropped off at the Bryce Canyon Visitor Center by 5 p.m. on Aug. 31 or submitted by mail to:
Superintendent, Bryce Canyon National Park, P.O. Box 640201 Bryce, UT 84764
Cluff said the feedback provided through comments will help determine how, or if, the National Park Service changes to the park’s fee structure will be implemented.
Zion National Park campground proposed changes
- Watchman Campground, Standard, Electric Campsite from $30 per night to $45 per night
- Watchman and South Campgrounds, Standard, Non-Electric Campsite from $20 per night to $35 per night
- Lava Point Campground, Standard, Non-Electric Campsite from $20 per night to $25 per night
- Watchman and South Campgrounds Dump Station Fee for non-campers only, No fee to $5
Visitors will continue to make park campground reservations using recreation.gov.
Wilderness Recreation Permits
Zion proposes to migrate its Wilderness Recreation Permit system to recreation.gov to benefit visitors by:
- Streamlining the permit application process.
- Simplifying access to trip planning information.
- Providing an experience consistent with other parks, recreation areas, and other Federal Lands across the United States.
The change will also ensure Zion complies with Federal regulations related to online data security.
Permitted wilderness recreation activities at Zion
In general, two kinds of activities require wilderness recreation permits: day use and overnight use.
- Day use: Permits are for a daylong activity such as canyoneering trips to the Left Fork – Subway and the Virgin River Narrows trip from the top-down. Day-use applications and reservations (up to months in advance) from $5 per application to $6 per application/reservation
- Overnight use: Permits are for overnight activities such as camping in designated wilderness campsites, bivouac (bivy) camping on climbs, and at-large camping in authorized areas. The fees may increase.
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2023, all rights reserved.