Area National Parks Begin Moves To Winter Operations
As temperatures begin to cool and crowds start to thin, activity levels at the area national parks are making a transition to the upcoming winter.
At Bryce Canyon National Park, one slow down is not related to the change of seasons, but is the result of recent heavy rainfall and flooding. The Wall Street side of the Navajo Loop has been closed as washouts have occurred on the trail switchbacks. This has caused an unsafe situation for hikers. The Two Bridges side of the trail remains open as workers make repairs to the Wall Street side. Park management warned hikers that it is likely there will be washouts on most of the trails in the park.
At Zion National Park, the Lava Point Campground has closed for the season. However, in addition to the campground closure the entire Lava Point Lookout is also closed as maintenance crews begin work on replacement of a railing. The work has been scheduled for some time. Work is expected to be completed by the middle of the fall season. Visitors are asked to not enter the area that is signed as closed.
The North Rim of the Grand Canyon is easing toward the annual winter closure by switching to only day use operations on Sunday, October 16th. At that time the Grand Canyon Lodge and the North Rim Campground will be closed. There will only be limited services available to visitors on and after that date. In addition, the entrance gate on State Route 67, which provides vehicle entrance to the North Rim will close at 5pm on November 30th or after the first major snowstorm, if that storm happens before the 30th. The Cape Royal road will be closed October 18th through 19th for regularly schedule maintenance. Visitors coming to the North Rim after October 16th should be self sufficient, bring enough food and water for the day, and be prepared for winter driving conditions. Year round services are available at Jacob Lake, and the South Rim of the Grand Canyon is also open all year.