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Zion National Park
has become increasingly popular with visitors, both local
and international. Most arrive by car, RV, or tour bus.
The park is being overwhelmed. Traffic congestion, lack
of parking places, air and noise pollution, and damage
to natural resources are frustrating problems the park
was experiencing.
Visitation to the
park is 2.5 million people a year and increasing. Solving
these problems is crucial to protecting the park and providing
a quality experience. To reduce traffic and to improve
the park experience, a new bus transportation system began
operation on May 26, 2000. It will run during the busy
season, March through October, and peak periods. One loop
will include eight stops in Zion Canyon, and a second
will include six stops in the town of Springdale. Parking
will be available throughout Springdale and inside the
south park entrance. It will be possible to leave your
vehicle in town and ride the shuttle to the new Zion Canyon
Visitor Center or park right at the visitor center. There,
exhibits and audio visual presentations will help you
plan your visit.
The visitor center
will be the start of the Zion Canyon loop into the park.
Shuttles will depart each location often throughout the
day. You may get on and off the shuttle as many times
as you wish. Riding the shuttle on both loops is free.
The cost of the shuttle system is included in the park
entrance fee. All visitors, except those staying at Zion
Lodge, will use the buses to access Zion Canyon. You will
still have the option of biking or hiking along the canyon's
scenic drive. The Pa'rus Trail connects Zion Canyon to
the new visitor center and both campgrounds. The east
side of the park will remain accessible by private vehicle.
Schedule:
Shuttles will operate beginning at 6:30 a.m. every 30
minutes, increasing to every 15 minutes and then, during
the busy part of the day, every 6 to 8 minutes. Toward
evening, the shuttles will scale back to 15 minutes, then
to 30 minutes. The last shuttle will leave the visitor
center at 9:30 p.m. This
schedule is subject to change. A
complete round trip will take a minimum of 90 minutes.
Please no
eating, drinking, smoking or pets allowed on the bus.
For
a day-trip on the shuttle, you should take:
- Water
-
Walking shoes
- Sunscreen
/ hat / sunglasses
- Snacks
- Maps
- Camera
/binoculars
- Dress
for the weather!
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