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SPRINGDALE, Washington County — National Park Service rangers say people planning to visit a pair of national parks in southern Utah should be prepared for campground and permit changes set to begin as early as this month.
Zion National Park officials announced this week they will raise fees at three of its campgrounds in 2024. The park will raise the cost of nonelectric campsites at South Campground from $20 per night to $35 when it reopens for the spring, while similar campsites at Lava Point Campground will be raised to $25.
There will also be a new $5 dump station fee for noncampers at both the Watchman and South campgrounds. The cost of electric campsites within the Watchman Campground will also increase from $30 per night to $45, and nonelectric campsites from $20 per night to $35, beginning July 1, 2024.
Zion's wilderness recreation permit system will be moved to Recreation.gov beginning early next month, to simplify the application process. It will cost $6 per application, reservation or permit beginning Jan. 5, 2024. It's an extra $1 for any seasonal lotteries, advance day-use reservations and day lotteries and a new fee for any previous walk-up permit at the park.
Jeff Bradybaugh, the park's superintendent, said the fee increases will help Zion rangers "maintain essential facilities like restrooms, drinking water systems (and) rehabilitate campsites."
"We adopted these changes to improve accessibility and visitor service," he said.
Similar changes are on the horizon at Bryce Canyon National Park, located a little more than 80 miles northeast of Zion. Park officials there announced last week they will institute a flat reservation fee of $30 per night beginning Dec. 28. Fees for RV sites were already $30 per night, while tent sites cost $20 per night.
The park will also move its Sunset Campground permit process to an online reservation system during the "peak season." Online reservations are necessary for anyone who plans to camp in the campground beginning May 18, 2024.
These reservations can be made up to 14 days in advance, while group site reservations can be made up to a year in advance through Recreation.gov. The reservation window will close on Oct. 14.
Park officials say they will continue to operate on a first-come, first-served basis between April 15 and May 17, as well as Oct. 15-31. The campground is closed from late fall through early spring.
Jim Ireland, superintendent at Bryce Canyon National Park, said the changes will offer both "the peace of mind of advance reservations and the flexibility of shorter reservation windows."
Park officials also unveiled a plan this month to move private horse reservations to an online permit process. Anyone planning to bring a horse or mule to the park to ride the trails — something that park officials say is becoming an "increasingly popular experience" — would have to pay a $1 processing fee per reservation.
The number of rider reservations reached 923 this year, nearly a 650% increase since 2015, which is when the park implemented its current process of emailing or calling park staff to reserve a time to ride.
"These proposed changes will give private stock owners the ability to better plan their visit, whenever they choose to do it," Ireland said. "Bryce Canyon visitors will be able to view available time slots and book their next ride, 24 hours a day, seven days a week."
Public comments on the proposal can be made online through the end of this year before the park decides whether to implement the change.
Park service sets 2024 'entrance fee-free' schedule
Meanwhile, there will be six days next year where there are no entrance fees for Bryce Canyon, Zion, or any other park in the National Park Service system, the agency announced late last week.
- Jan. 15: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
- April 20: First day of National Park Week
- June 19 : Juneteenth
- Aug. 4: Great American Outdoors Day
- Sept. 28: National Public Lands Day
- Nov. 11: Veterans Day
About 80% to 100% of the fees a park collects goes back into the park. The agency has held "entrance fee-free" days for quite some time, where the $10 to $35 entrance fees are waived to entice people to try out a national park. Other fees a park may have, such as those tied to camping, activities or transportation, will still be in place on fee-free days, however.
"National parks are places that awaken senses, inspire curiosity, encourage reflection and foster joy," said National Park Service Director Chuck Sams. "The entrance fee-free days expand opportunities for people to visit their national parks and experience the beauty and history of our country."
