ST. GEORGE — Improving visitors’ experience entering Zion National Park at the bustling South Entrance will be the topic of an online public hearing on Tuesday, March 19, at 6 p.m. MST.
It’s a topic that impacts millions and is part of the park’s overall approach to responsible accessibility.
“We know different users like hikers, bicyclists, shuttle bus riders and individual drivers all have different needs,” park spokesman Jonathan Shafer told St. George News. “This proposal is intended to help us better meet all of them while we continue to conserve the park
“It is also intended to make the park more accessible and easier to visit by separating different kinds of uses into different areas — such as by establishing grade-separated trails and roads.”
Zion National Park recorded nearly 5 million annual visits in the last few years, most of them through the South Entrance area. He encourages public involvement in the proposal to improve circulation and reduce conflict among travelers.
For information and to join the meeting on the project site, click here.
Input to the park’s Environmental Assessment may be submitted until April 10.
During the hearing, attendees can hear about recommendations, and Shafer said one improvement involves constructing a bridge just north of the existing structure, which would be replaced by the new bridge and provide more space for drivers and shuttle buses to travel farther from pedestrians and bicyclists.
The bridge would also help the park service address deferred maintenance by removing a structure that had been in place since the 1960s and would have required eventual replacement.
A concern with proposed changes is the potential effects on the landscapes, plants and animals that define Zion National Park. Shafer said that is why the park service has a comprehensive planning process that includes considering ways to prevent adverse effects and increase the park’s and visitors’ benefits.
“At this stage, our proposal is just that, a proposal,” Shafer said. “We need members of the public to provide input to consider whether and when to proceed with the proposed work. We encourage everyone who is interested in Zion to attend a free virtual public meeting we will host on Tuesday.”
Proposed improvements include:
- Realigning the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway from the South Entrance to the Zion Canyon Visitor Center.
- Improving circulation through the construction of a new vehicle and pedestrian bridge.
- Creating pedestrian connections and intuitive wayfinding that are separated from roads.
- Enhancing accessibility in the South Entrance Area.
The park’s proposal in an Environmental Assessment and Floodplain Statement of Findings identifies an alternative to improve traffic flow and reduce conflicts among hikers, bicyclists, drivers, and shuttle buses.
“We need your input as we consider how to improve Zion National Park,” Jeff Bradybaugh, Zion National Park Superintendent, stated in a news release. “We encourage everyone to read the proposal, attend our virtual public meeting, and share comments before April 10.”
Learn more about the meeting and read the park’s Environmental Assessment planning documents at ParkPlanning — Zion Canyon South Entrance Redesign (nps.gov)
To share comments online and learn more about the project, visit the National Park Service Planning, Environment and Public Comment website. If you prefer to mail your comments, they must be postmarked by April 10, 2024.
Learn more about the meeting and read the park’s Environmental Assessment planning documents at ParkPlanning — Zion Canyon South Entrance Redesign.
Comments and ideas can be submitted through April 10. To share comments online and learn more about the project, visit the National Park Service Planning, Environment and Public Comment website. Or mail comments to:
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