News Release

National Park Service begins total rehabilitation of major campground at Zion National Park

National Park Service plans for improvements to Zion National Park’s South Campground.

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News Release Date: April 5, 2024

Contact: Zion Newsdesk, [phone]

SPRINGDALE, Utah – Zion National Park has received National Park Service funding from the Great American Outdoors Act Legacy Restoration Fund, disaster recovery appropriations, and visitor entrance fee dollars to completely rehabilitate the park's historic South Campground.

The project is a once in a lifetime opportunity to address deferred maintenance and repair needs related to the campground and deliver:

• New and rehabilitated bathrooms.

• Modern drinking water systems.

• Improved sewer infrastructure.

• Enlarged and reinforced stormwater drainage.

• Improved campsites.

• New food storage boxes.

"We are just beginning the construction process,” said Jeff Bradybaugh, Zion National Park Superintendent. “Visitors to Zion will benefit for years from the hard work of the many expert park employees and skilled craftspeople who are rehabilitating one of our most popular and historic campgrounds. Congress made this work possible through the Great American Outdoors Act – Legacy Restoration Fund.”
 

More project benefits

Besides the improvements to existing infrastructure, the National Park Service is also going to enhance service by:

• Building a new structure for visitors to speak with rangers and receive Wilderness Permits for activities like canyoneering and backpacking.

• Improving water drainage systems to reduce the likelihood of flooding and increase climate resiliency.

• Revegetating the campground using native plants.

This work is supported by visitors’ fee dollars.

 

Background

Zion has taken a deliberate and responsible approach to maintaining South Campground and all assets in the park as visitation has more than doubled over the last twenty years. As use and the need for maintenance has grown, campground infrastructure was overwhelmed.

South Campground has hosted campers since it opened in the 1920s. Most of the infrastructure in the campground now dates from the 1960s. This rehabilitation project is addressing needs that resulted from aging infrastructure, simplifying future maintenance, and increasing accessibility.

About Great American Outdoors Act – Legacy Restoration Fund (GAOA)

Infrastructure funding from GAOA is part of a concerted effort to address the extensive deferred maintenance and repair backlog in national parks. Supported by revenue from energy development, GAOA's Legacy Restoration Fund provides up to $1.3 billion per year for five years to the National Park Service to make significant enhancements in national parks to ensure their preservation and provide opportunities for recreation, education, and enjoyment for current and future visitors.