Visiting Utah’s Zion National Park Is About to Get More Expensive — Here’s What’s Changing

Utah’s Zion National Park is raising visitor rates next year, increasing by as much as 75 percent. 

The increased rates will apply to frontcountry campgrounds as well as both day-use and overnight wilderness recreation permits, according to the National Park Service (NPS). The park will also start using an online reservation system for canyoneering, backpacking camping, and other wilderness permits. 

The increased rates vary by location and activity.

“We adopted these changes to improve accessibility and visitor service,” Jeff Bradybaugh, Zion National Park superintendent, said in a statement obtained by Travel + Leisure. “These changes are going to help us maintain essential facilities like restrooms and drinking water systems, rehabilitate campsites, and simplify applications for Wilderness Recreation Permits.”

For the frontcountry campgrounds starting July 1, 2024, the rates for non-electric campsites at both the Watchman Campground and the South Campground will rise from $20 per night to $35 per night, a 75 percent increase. The rates for the electric campsite at the Watchman Campground will rise from $30 per night to $45 per night, and the rate for the non-electric campsite at the Lava Point Campground will rise from $20 per night to $25 per night.

Zion will also start using an online reservation system on Recreation.gov for all wilderness recreation permits starting on Jan. 5, 2024. A day-use permit for eight to 12 people, for example — which includes activities like a day hike of the Virgin River Narrows — will go from costing $25 per group to $10 per person, per day.

The park will also increase the rates for overnight permits for activities like camping in designated wilderness campsites, bivouac (bivy) camping on climbs, and at-large camping in authorized areas. 

Reservations made up to three months in advance, for example, will increase from $5 per reservation to $20 per reservation starting Jan. 5.