SPRINGDALE, Utah, Dec. 3, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — Permits will be needed to hike Angels Landing starting in April, it was announced Friday.
The National Park Service will issue permits using online lotteries at Recreation.gov. The first lottery opens on Jan. 3, 2022, said a news release from the NPS.
“Angels Landing is one of the most iconic destinations in Zion National Park and issuing permits will make going there fair for everyone,” Superintendent Jeff Bradybaugh said. “The system we’ve put in place will reduce crowding on the trail, address safety concerns and make it easy for visitors to plan ahead.”
Visitors can get a permit by entering seasonal lotteries or a different lottery the day before their planned hikes. It will cost $6 to enter any of the lotteries and successful permit holders will pay a $3 per person fee. These funds will cover costs to manage the lotteries and for additional NPS rangers who will assist visitors and check permits on the trail. Learn when and how to enter the lotteries here.
“This is a pilot program, and the NPS will monitor and adjust it as needed,” the news release said. “The pilot permit program reflects comments from nearly 1,000 members of the public, park neighbors and other stakeholders. It also reflects lessons NPS learned by metering the number of hikers on the trail in 2019 and 2021 and distributing tickets to use the park shuttle system in response to COVID-19 in 2020.”
The park recorded about 2.8 million visits to Angels Landing in 2011 and nearly 4.5 million visits in 2019.
“As the number of people who visit Zion continues to rise, NPS is preparing a plan designed to provide high quality visitor experiences and sustainably manage park resources,” the news release said. “The Angels Landing Pilot Permit Program will inform that planning process. We plan to share an update on the plan and ask for your feedback about it in 2022.”
