Utah National Parks Open

A view of Zion Canyon and the valley floor from the trail that leads to Angels Landing

By now the word should be becoming more wide-spread that Utah government officials negotiated a deal with the federal government to pay the bill to re-open the national parks.  The agreement is to fund parks and monuments for at least 10 days, and it seems clear that Utah won’t let the parks close again while the federal government wrestles with their financial issues.

Zion National Park Reopened

Formations on the east side of Zion National Park reflected in a natural pond.

For visitors from around the United States, and from all over the world, that had been planning for months and years to visit the region, the word that the parks were open came as very welcome news.  Here at Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort we saw a few cancellations but also picked up reservations from people who couldn’t get into the park.

Zion Canyon

Zion Canyon Utah

Zion Ponderosa is a destination ranch resort with six lodging types, a restaurant on-property, and with 20+ activities for guests.  The aforementioned amenities along with the fact that we border Zion National Park with 4, 000+ private acres still makes us an attractive vacation experience, despite the government shut-down of the national parks.  Even with the park closures visitors were able to venture out to experience the myriad other attractions in the region.

Zion Park Utah

A view from the saddle of the Angels Landing trail in Zion National Park

Utah is home Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, and a host of national monuments, and visitation to these attractions has never been higher.  The strong numbers of visitors has been due in large part to the excellent marketing work, by public and private tourism operations, to spread the word about Utah’s great scenic attractions.   Approximately 70% of the lands in Utah are under federal control and so when the federal government has a shut-down, a rare occurrence, then it does change the dynamics of visitation to Utah, and this did have a serious economic impact on the state.

Zion Park Open

Looking back toward formations in Zion National Park from the road that leads through the tunnel.

We’re glad to see the parks open again, and invite you to continue to enjoy all the serenity and adventure that is offered at Zion Ponderosa, and to experience the magnificence of Utah’s national parks and monuments.

Read more about Zion National Park.

 


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