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ST. GEORGE — The Subaru Leave No Trace organization has named Mossy Cave in Bryce Canyon National Park a 2022 Hot Spot.
"Mossy Cave in the park was a favorite spot for local residents. However, after it began showing up in social media posts and unofficial travel websites, visitation rose quickly," Peter Densmore, public information officer at Bryce Canyon National Park said. "In recent summer months, up to 5,000 people per week have been recreating along the 0.4-mile-long corridor, with June 2019 seeing a spike of nearly 7,000 people per week.
This situation has led to a second parking lot being constructed in the Mossy Cave area to accommodate the rising visitation and to help reduce illegal parking along the busy shoulder of state Route 12.
Mossy Cave is a hanging garden-type spring — an ecologically unique and important feature in such an arid landscape. The area has seen more visitors ignoring the barriers and entering the shallow cave formed by the spring. Mossy Cave is also located on the ancestral lands of the Pueblos, Ute, Southern Paiute and possibly other tribes.
