News Release

Campground and Wilderness Permit Changes coming to Zion National Park in 2024

A reservable campsite in Wilderness at Zion National Park.

NPS Image / Bryanna Plog

News Release Date: December 4, 2023

Contact: Zion News Desk, [e-mail], 435-772-0162

SPRINGDALE, Utah – Effective in 2024, Zion National Park will change fees in campgrounds and start using a new online reservation system for canyoneering, backpacking camping, and other Wilderness permits. 

“We adopted these changes to improve accessibility and visitor service,” Jeff Bradybaugh, Zion National Park Superintendent said. “These changes are going to help us maintain essential facilities like restrooms and drinking water systems, rehabilitate campsites, and simplify applications for Wilderness Recreation Permits.” 

Frontcountry Campgrounds 

Location	Amenity	Current	Effective for stays on and after July 1, 2024
Watchman Campground	Electric campsite	$30 per night	$45 per night
	Non-electric campsite	$20 per night	$35 per night
			Effective upon seasonal reopening in Spring 2024
South Campground	Non-Electric Campsite	$20 per night	$35 per night
Lava Point Campground	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 

Effective January 5, 2024, Zion will migrate its Wilderness Recreation Permit system to Recreation.gov.  

Besides giving users the ability to create itinerary based trips and rank their top choices of desired destinations and recreation dates in lottery applications – which we could not offer with our former permit system – this change will benefit visitors by improving: 

User interface 

• Provides an online and mobile app experience consistent with other parks, recreation areas, and other Federal Lands across the United States. 

• Improves access to phone and online chat application assistance which will be available 7 days a week. 
   

Communications with permit holders 

• Centralizes applications for all Zion recreation reservations & lotteries. 

• Enables Zion to directly contact permit holders via email and text message. 
   

System resilience 

• Higher server reliability. 

• Increases access to web support for park rangers who manage the system. 

• Enhances compliance with federal requirements for system security, privacy protection and financial transactions. 

Types of Permitted Wilderness Recreation Activities at Zion 

In general, there are two kinds of activities that require Wilderness Recreation Permits. These are: 

• Day Use 

• Overnight Use 
   

Day Use 

Wilderness Permits are for a day long activity such as canyoneering trips to the Left Fork – Subway, and for the16 mile (top-down) day hike of the Virgin River Narrows.  

Day use applications and reservations 

Activity	Current	Effective January 5, 2024
Seasonal Lottery  (up to 4 months in advance)	$5 per application	$6 per application/reservation/permit   (applies to every day use application/reservation/permit)
Advance Day Use Reservation  (up to 3 months in advance)	$5 per reservation
Daily Lottery    (2 days before)	$5 per application
Walk Up Permit  (first-come first-served, the day of or day before hikes)	No fee

Day Use permit fees 

Group Size	Current	Effective January 5, 2024
Up to 2 people	$15 per group	$10 per person per day   (applies to any day use permit)
3 to 7 people	$20 per group
8 to 12 people	$25 per group

Note: Only applicants who get a permit through a lottery, by advance reservation, or by walking up will pay the $10 per person per day fee. 
 

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	Effective January 5, 2024
Advance Reservation  (up to 3 months in advance)	$5 per reservation	$20 per reservation  (applies to any reservation)
Walk-up Permits  (first-come first-served, the day of or day before hikes)	No fee	$20 per booking   (applies to any overnight permit)

Overnight use permit fees 

Group Size	Current	Effective January 5, 2024
Up to 2 people	$15 per group	$7 per person per night  (applies to any overnight permit)
3 to 7 people	$20 per group
8 to 12 people	$25 per group

Note: Only applicants who get a permit through advance reservation or by walking up will pay the additional $7 per person per night fee. 
 

We count on your comments 

Zion asked for your comments on these changes, and we took them into account as we are implementing changes. Learn more about the comment process and read our responses at the Planning, Environment & Public Comment for this project. 

A Legacy of Success 

The last time campground fees in Zion changed was in 2015, and we have not changed Wilderness Permit fees since 2016. In 2016, 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 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 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 improve access to our reservation and permitting system and 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 more about these plans soon. 

The Angels Landing Pilot Permit Program is not affected by these changes and will continue as it has since 2022. 

www.nps.gov/zion 

About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.