News Release

Protecting native plants during your Zion National Park visit is as easy as 1, 2, 3

National Park Service biologist collects plant seeds near a road in Zion National Park.

NPS / Ally O'Rullian

News Release Date: July 20, 2023

Contact: [e-mail], [phone]

SPRINGDALE, Utah – Zion may be best known for its red rock, but some of its most unique residents are found on canyon floors and walls. Throughout the year, biologists collect seeds to help native plants. In a typical year, biologists collect about 500 pounds of seeds and then grow or spread them to give native plants an advantage throughout the park. We need your help to protect the plants that call Zion home. 

Protecting native plants during your Zion visit is as easy as 1, 2, 3: 

When you visit Zion: 

1. Stay between the lines. Park your car in designated lots and never on unpaved areas where plants can grow near roads. 
2. Follow the trail. Trails lead to amazing places, and you can protect native plants and the soils they call home by staying on course. Prevent erosion and protect plants by staying on the trail. 
3. Clean your boots to give native plants a leg up. Check your footwear for hitchhiking seeds, and brush them off before you arrive at Zion. 

Plant conservation in action 

Thanks to National Park Service biologists’ ongoing work, some road- and trail-side areas that used to be barren are home to plants again. The National Park Service took action to prevent illegal parking, which was hazardous for drivers and harmful to plants, by placing large sandstone boulders next to roads. The boulders prevent parked cars from affecting traffic and gave plants the opportunity to thrive. 

Public domain b-roll and photos