Thank you for your interest in the management of Zion National Park. We have
received your comments relating to the interim limits for areas zoned
pristine under the park's General Management Plan and would like to address
your concerns.
As you may know, in 2001 Zion completed a six-year public planning process
culminating in the approval of a general management plan (GMP) for the park.
The GMP requires the park, in the near future, to develop a number of more
specific plans, including a backcountry management plan. To assist us in the
process, a two-year study using visitor experience and resource protection
surveys (VERP) is being conducted. In addition, public workshops and scoping
meetings will be held in communities near the park. Until the backcountry
management plan is completed, the GMP also requires that the park establish
a set of interim visitor use limits for the management zones established by
the GMP. Permanent visitor use restrictions would only be implemented after
the review and approval of a backcountry management plan.
Based upon dramatic increases in use of Zion's slot canyons, interim use
limits in primitive and pristine zones are in effect during 2003 as detailed
below. Please take this into consideration as you make your plans to visit
Zion's backcountry this summer.
We have established limits to allow up to twelve people per day through
pristine zoned areas. This could mean one group of 12, 6 groups of 2, 3
groups of 4 or any combination not to exceed a total of 12. It will apply to
Mystery, Imlay, Kolob, Behunin, Heaps, Echo, Spry, Englestead, Bulloch, Ice
Box and the Upper Right Fork of North Creek canyons, to name a few. Canyons
in areas zoned primitive will be limited to a maximum of 50 people per day.
This will apply to Orderville, Pine Creek, Keyhole, and the Left Fork of
North Creek (Subway) canyons. Check with rangers at the backcountry permits
desk for details on any other canyons not listed here. Although the maximum
group size for backcountry travel remains at 12, we encourage smaller group
sizes, as they tend to travel faster and have much less social impact on
other groups traveling in the same drainage.
Reservations will be available for Subway and Mystery Canyons in 2003. A
total of 30 of the 50 slots available for the Subway may be reserved. A
total of 6 of the 12 slots available for Mystery Canyon may be reserved.
Please check our website for reservation information.
For updated information on the planning process, we are developing a
Backcountry News page on our website: http://www.nps.gov/zion. Or, you may
send your name and mailing address or electronic mail address to Cindy
Purcell, Plateau District Ranger, Zion National Park, Springdale, UT 84767,
and you will be added to our mailing list.
Thank you again for your interest in Zion National Park. We look forward to
working with you.
