News Release
National Park Service
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Contact: Zion News Desk, (435) 772-0162
SPRINGDALE, Utah – The National Park Service wants your input on proposed changes to campground fees and Wilderness Recreation Permits in Zion National Park.
“Fee dollars do great things for visitors at Zion” Jeff Bradybaugh, Zion Superintendent said. “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.”
We count on your comments
Please share your feedback through our Park Planning and Environmental Compliance (PEPC) website by August 31, 2023.
Campgrounds
The proposal would apply to all park campgrounds. These are:
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South Campground
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Non-electrified campsites.
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RV dump station.
-
-
Watchman Campground
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Non-electrified campsites.
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Electrified campsites.
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RV dump station.
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Lava Point Campground
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Non-electrified campsites.
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Zion Campgrounds
|
Location |
Amenity |
Current |
Proposed |
|
Watchman Campground |
Standard, Electric Campsite |
$30 per night |
$45 per night |
|
Watchman and South Campground |
Standard, Non-Electric Campsite |
$20 per night |
$35 per night |
|
Lava Point Campground |
Standard, Non-Electric Campsite |
$20 per night |
$25 per night |
|
Watchman and South Campground |
Dump Station fee for non-campers only |
No fee |
$5 |
Visitors will continue to make park campground reservations using recreation.gov.
Wilderness Recreation Permits
Zion currently relies on a third-party contractor to service our digital Wilderness Recreation Permit interface. Zion proposes to migrate its Wilderness Recreation Permit system to recreation.gov to benefit visitors by:
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Streamlining the permit application process.
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Simplifying access to trip planning information.
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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.
Types of Permitted Wilderness Recreation Activities at Zion
In general, there are two kinds of activities that require Wilderness Recreation Permits. These are:
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Day Use
-
Overnight Use
Day Use
Permits are for a day long 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
| Activity | Current | Proposed |
| Seasonal Lottery (up to months in advance) |
$5 per application | $6 per application/reservation (applies to every application/reservation) |
| Advance Day Use Reservation (up to months in advance) |
$5 per reservation | |
| Daily Lottery (more than one day before) |
$5 per application | |
| Walk Up Permit (first-come, first-served, the day of or day before trips) |
No fee |
Day Use permit fees
| Group Size | Current | Proposed |
| Up to 2 people | $15 per group | $10 per person per day (applies to every day use permit) |
| 3 to 7 people | $20 per group | |
| 8 to 12 people | $25 per group |
Overnight Use
Permits are for overnight activity such as camping in designated Wilderness campsites, bivouac (bivy) camping on climbs, and at-large camping in authorized areas.
Overnight use applications and reservations
| Activity | Current | Proposed |
| Advance Reservation (up to months in advance) |
$5 per reservation | $20 per reservation (applies to every reservation) |
| Walk-up Permits (first-come, first served, the day of or day before trips) |
No fee | $20 per booking (applies to every applicant) |
Overnight use permit fees
| Group Size | Current | Proposed |
| Up to 2 people | $15 per group | $7 per person per night (applies to every overnight permit) |
| 3 to 7 people | $20 per group | |
| 8 to 12 people | $25 per group |
A Legacy of Benefits to Visitors
Fees benefit visitors to Zion. The last time campground fees in Zion changed was in 2015, and we have not changed Wilderness Recreation Permit fees since 2016. In that year, the park recorded about 3.6 million visits. In 2021, Zion recorded more than 5 million visits – the most in its history. Rising visitation has correlated with increased demand for campsites and increased need for facility maintenance services such as cleaning restrooms, removing recyclables and trash, and servicing roads and campsites. Rising visitation has also resulted in increased stress on the plants, animals, and historic sites in Zion Wilderness. Rangers who issue Wilderness permits provide guidance so that visitors are able to complete their trips safely and use techniques to conserve these areas. That guidance is essential to ensuring the park’s least developed areas remain wild. The proposed changes will ensure Zion is able to continue to steward public health and provide enjoyable experiences for visitors who stay in campgrounds and who recreate in Wilderness.
Future improvements
Zion is in the process of developing a plan to improve South Campground and the entire South Entrance Area. We are using the public comments on design concepts from 2022 to finalize construction plans. We anticipate sharing these plans later in 2023.
None of these proposed changes will affect the Angels Landing Pilot Permit Program.
Last updated: August 1, 2023