Town of Springdale request
for Zion National Park Closure
SPRINGDALE, UT – On Friday, April 3, 2020, the Springdale Town Council voted unanimously to request the closure of Zion National Park due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Letters addressed to Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt and the Southwest Utah Board of Health have been sent specifically outlining concerns and requested action.
The united stance of the Town Council comes as a result of serious concerns regarding the amount of visitation coming to Zion National Park despite Utah Governor Gary Herbert’s directive issued March 27, 2020, to ‘Stay Safe, Stay Home’. This past weekend Zion National Park received approximately 9,000 visitors, 70% of whom were from out-of-state. Over the last three days, COVID-19 positive cases have increased an average of 30% in the Southwest Utah Public Health Department’s five-county area. This is alarming and suggests the existing containment and mitigation strategies are insufficient to slow the transmission of the disease. Springdale is a gateway community to Zion National Park; therefore, worries about the health risk the pandemic poses to residents, park employees, law enforcement, and emergency personnel is extremely high.
In their letter to Secretary Bernhardt, the Town Council asked SR-9, the road through Zion National Park, to remain open for the safety and needs of locals. This road is an important thoroughfare that connects residents and communities on the east and west side of the Park, providing a quicker route for some persons to access Dixie Regional Medical Center, the major medical referral center for southern Utah, northwestern Arizona, and southeastern Nevada. Additionally, the Town Council requested Zion National Park to stay poised and ready to open again without delay once it has been deemed safe to do so.
Although all other major national parks in the west are now closed, including Yosemite, Rocky Mountain, Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Arches, and Canyonlands, Zion National Park has remained open. The Springdale Town Council agreed it was time to request closure in order to keep prospective tourists, vacationers, and visitors to Washington County Utah at home until assurances are made the pandemic has receded.
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The Town of Springdale, located in the southwest corner of Utah, is the gateway community to Zion National Park. Although small, in residential population, Springdale welcomes over 4.5 million visitors each year to Zion National Park. The Town has a number of lodging facilities, restaurants, gift shops, and many other amenities that support tourism in the area. www.springdaletown.com
