Zion Wilderness Permits and Canyoneering permits opened up again

[Yvonne]

Zion is getting back to normality.

A lot of wilderness permits are available again.
Backpacking permits are open again for reservation, including East and West Rim, La Verkin Creek, Southwest Desert. Only the Narrows overnight trips are still not open due to the highly toxic levels of cyanobacteria in the water.
There are no more walk-up backpacking permits until further future, all sites are reservable online.
I just reserved a permit for an overnighter in La Verkin Creek and the Southwest Desert for October.

All canyoneering permits where you do not need to swim in the Virgin River are open as well. This also includes the Subway bottom up. I snagged two permits for October and am waiting for November to open up. Canyons that are open are Jolley Gulch, Pine Creek Spry, Behunian, Telephone Canyon, Keyhole, Employee Canyon.

The wilderness desk is open from 8-4:30 pm at an outside window since no one is allowed inside the visitor center building.

 

[chandlerwest]

I saw a group of six suited up going into Keyhole two weeks ago. I hadn't seen that permits had started up again. They were so "open and notorious" (The one phrase I remember vividly from a Business Law class I took decades ago.) that I assumed that they were legal.

 

[fossana]

I saw a group of six suited up going into Keyhole two weeks ago. I hadn't seen that permits had started up again. They were so "open and notorious" (The one phrase I remember vividly from a Business Law class I took decades ago.) that I assumed that they were legal.

They opened up permits, at least for backpacking, before advertising it on the NPS site. I made someone show me their overnight permit b/c it still said unavailable on the website. Citizen ranger

On a side note, I've never seen so much trash along the sides of the road along the E Rim, not to mention traffic and bogus "companion dogs" on the trails on Kolob Terrace. Talking to a friend at Zion Forever Project about organizing a clean-up event. Once confirmed will post here in case anyone is interested.

 

[Yvonne]

They opened up permits, at least for backpacking, before advertising it on the NPS site. I made someone show me their overnight permit b/c it still said unavailable on the website. Citizen ranger

On a side note, I've never seen so much trash along the sides of the road along the E Rim, not to mention traffic and bogus "companion dogs" on the trails on Kolob Terrace. Talking to a friend at Zion Forever Project about organizing a clean-up event. Once confirmed will post here in case anyone is interested.

the trash problem is totally getting out of control. On each of my hikes in the Zion Wilderness, I at least have a full bag of trash I've picked up along the way.
The park is the busiest as it has ever been. It's still as busy as mid-July with no end of sight. The park is almost at its limits of what I can take. Springdale is Zoo, the drive from and to work each day is a hassle.

When I went and did the Subway on October 1, I had the wonderful experience to have it all to myself the entire day. This will probably never again.
All backcountry sites are open now but The Narrows and all Canyoneering trips where you do not have a lot of swims are open as well.
And permits go fast almost every month.
I'm glad I picked some up for the end of November. I probably have to bring extra trash bags so I can clean up the trails on my hike out

 

[Yvonne]

I saw a group of six suited up going into Keyhole two weeks ago. I hadn't seen that permits had started up again. They were so "open and notorious" (The one phrase I remember vividly from a Business Law class I took decades ago.) that I assumed that they were legal.

Keyhole was already open two weeks ago, all canyon permits opened up by September 20th.

 

[chandlerwest]

the trash problem is totally getting out of control. On each of my hikes in the Zion Wilderness, I at least have a full bag of trash I've picked up along the way.
The park is the busiest as it has ever been. It's still as busy as mid-July with no end of sight. The park is almost at its limits of what I can take. Springdale is Zoo, the drive from and to work each day is a hassle.


Fortunately I didn't run into much trash but I could have cried with how the walls of the narrow areas of Clear Creek were scratched up. I blamed it on too easy access for the blue moon tourist. I tried to take heart that it seemed like rock scratching instead of markers. So spontaneous ignorance!

 

[fossana]

The park is the busiest as it has ever been. It's still as busy as mid-July with no end of sight. The park is almost at its limits of what I can take. Springdale is Zoo, the drive from and to work each day is a hassle.

There were ~100 cars lined up for the tunnel when I finished my Gifford Canyon/peaks hike on Saturday. I ended up going the Mt. Carmel Jxn/Cane Beds cut-off way home. I doubt it would have been faster to wait for the tunnel.

 

[Yvonne]

There were ~100 cars lined up for the tunnel when I finished my Gifford Canyon/peaks hike on Saturday. I ended up going the Mt. Carmel Jxn/Cane Beds cut-off way home. I doubt it would have been faster to wait for the tunnel.

that's awful!!!
I hope it soon slows down. Actually today at the VC it was pretty mellow, we had times with no one in line.
I guess the cold helped a little bit.

I'm heading out to the Eastside for the first time after my accident this weekend and might even switch it to mid-week. So darn crazy what going on.
We got the numbers in for September and it was the busiest September ever with almost 600,000 visitors

 

[zionsky]

yikes! I better bring my patience pills with me next week.

 

[zionsky]

There were ~100 cars lined up for the tunnel when I finished my Gifford Canyon/peaks hike on Saturday. I ended up going the Mt. Carmel Jxn/Cane Beds cut-off way home. I doubt it would have been faster to wait for the tunnel.

just curious...did you see any folks up gifford?

 

[fossana]

just curious...did you see any folks up gifford?

No (I was on the Gifford Peak side mainly). There were, however, a pair of obnoxious helicopters flying low over canyon. Unclear whose they were; they were white, not the tour operator's black ones.

 

[zionsky]

No (I was on the Gifford Peak side mainly). There were, however, a pair of obnoxious helicopters flying low over canyon. Unclear whose they were; they were white, not the tour operator's black ones.

That's good. If you were on the Jenny side, you'd be in trouble