Bryce Canyon National Park Public Health Update

Bryce Canyon is Increasing Access with a Phased Approach Following the guidance of state and local public health authorities, Bryce Canyon is increasing recreational access and services. The National Park Service (NPS) is working service-wide with federal, state, and local public health authorities to closely monitor the COVID-19 pandemic and using a phased approach to increase access on a park-by-park basis. Memorial Day Weekend is the Busiest Weekend of the Year Early bird gets the worm: sunrise and early mornings before 10 a.m. are a great time to visit and find less visitors along trails and at popular overlooks. Enjoy Bryce Canyon’s Shared Use Path! Just beyond the park entrance, Bryce Canyon City offers plenty of vehicle parking. From there it’s only a 4-mile bike ride or walk to the Bryce Amphitheater. Park in less busy areas. For example, consider an easy 15 minute walk or even quicker bike ride from the park Visitor Center to Sunrise Point on the rim. Park in the Additional Parking area across from the Visitor Center and enjoy the quiet, forested scenery along the Shared Use Path. Take a scenic drive to the southern end of the park during the busiest times between 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. and enjoy some of the quieter overlooks and picnic areas. Visitors are encouraged to drive the entire 18-mile scenic drive to Rainbow Point and work their way back to the park entrance so that all overlooks will be on your right-hand (east) side of the road. There is plenty of daylight this time of year, consider visiting between 5 p.m. - 8 p.m. and capture the last of the day’s light. Great for dramatic photos of the Bryce Amphitheater. Access to the Park Key Areas and Services that visitors currently have access to: The main road and all viewpoints to Rainbow Point Visitor Center and NHA bookstore: outdoor and indoor operations from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The theater and museum remain closed, and in accordance with regional public health guidance on group gatherings, indoor visitor occupancy will be limited for retail or restroom access only In the Bryce Amphitheater area, restrooms are available at Sunset Point (24 hrs), Inspiration Point (24 hrs) Along the southern Scenic Drive, restrooms are available at Farview and Rainbow Points (24 hrs) All trails within the Bryce Amphitheater area, including the Navajo Loop Mossy Cave parking, restroom, and trail area (this area may temporarily close for short periods due to construction) Guided horseback rides Key Areas and Services planned to resume with anticipated dates: Effective May 20th the park will resume collecting park entrance fees via traditional methods of credit card (preferred) and cash, or park pass; digital fee collection via recreation.gov is not yet available at Bryce Canyon, but will likely be announced soon as a preferred option Effective May 22nd, the General Store will reopen its store and restrooms from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., however showers and laundry services will remain closed Effective June 7th, Sunset Campground will reopen to the public for camping by reservation only—visit www.recreation.gov for reservation information Effective June 15th, private horse use reservations will resume within the park Effective no later than July 1st, hiking of backcountry trails and permits for backcountry camping at sites along these trails will again be permitted—park backcountry trails include the Riggs Spring Loop, the Under-the-Rim Trail, and Under-the-Rim connecting trails Services and activities that do not yet have a date to resume: All park food service The park Lodge and its overnight accomodations Park shuttle service North Campground is currently closed for paving and will reopen for first-come-first-serve camping when this rehabilitation project is completed 2020 Summer Festivals Following currently available guidance from the CDC and state and local public health authorities, the park has decided to cancel its annual Astronomy Festival scheduled for June 2020. No decision has yet been made on the July 2020 Geology Festival, but we expect one to be announced by the first week in June.