Public bus from St George to Zion NP in 2024

[TrailScot]

It appears that plans are afoot for a new public bus route from St George, Utah to Zion National Park in late summer 2024. I believe that St George Shuttle used to run a van several times a day, but this service stopped a couple of years ago.

Next summer, a bus straight outta St. George hopes to help Zion out with its traffic

The new bus route is scheduled to begin next summer between St. George and the town of Springdale at the west entrance of Zion National Park. It's meant to make life easier for both tourists and residents.

www.kuer.org

 

[fossana]

Good news, but I hope over the long-term they transition to electric or hybrid buses (v. diesel). It would also be great if the park would open a shuttle service to the E Rim, since the lower E Rim trail is closed indefinitely.

 

[zionsky]

Good news, but I hope over the long-term they transition to electric or hybrid buses (v. diesel). It would also be great if the park would open a shuttle service to the E Rim, since the lower E Rim trail is closed indefinitely.

I like the idea of a shuttle from the new east visitor center to the east rim. Maybe they could work out an arrangement to partner with the folks at ponderosa who currently offer the service

 

[John Morrow]

There's a new VC on the east side now?

 

[fossana]

There's a new VC on the east side now?

It's in the works.

Zion’s East Side Visitor Center - Zion National Park Forever Project

-A New Home- Updated in 2013, Zion’s Foundation Document, created by park leadership, identified the…

zionpark.org

 

[John Morrow]

interesting. Not a Park Service facility. Outside of the Park. Interagency and private non-profit staffed. Not sure I've heard of that before within or directly adjacent to a Park Boundary. I'll need to research more. I don't want to jump to an opinion. There are other examples, just that usually not NPS staff and NPS land focused. Moab is not staffed with NPS employees. Escalante may have Glen Canyon NPS employees but I haven't seen any. Both of those are quite off site.

 

[fossana]

Zion Forever staffs the visitor center at the Zion S entrance. NPS staffs the Zion kiosks, permit/info desk, and the Kolob Canyons center. Escalante NM uses 4 interagency visitor centers: Big Water, Escalante, Cannonville, and Kanab. They also serve the surrounding BLM and Forest Service lands, Paria-Vermillion Cliffs Wilderness/Vermillion Cliffs NM, and Glen Canyon. I've only encountered federal staff there.

Grand Canyon uses the Zion model for the visitor centers as well:

As the park's official nonprofit partner, the Grand Canyon Conservancy (GCC) works with the National Park Service to operate park stores in seven locations throughout the park. The largest store is located on the south side of the Visitor Center Plaza. Parking Lot 4 provides the closest access to the store.

- https://www.nps.gov/places/000/grand-canyon-conservancy-park-store.htm


p.s. Glen Canyon is a NRA, not a NP.

 

[John Morrow]

p.s. Glen Canyon is a NRA, not a NP.

Indeed, but it is NPS managed. I meant a National Park Service "Unit" as opposed to managed by any of the other three Federal Agencies (USFS, BLM, USFWS).

Zion Forever staffs the visitor center at the Zion S entrance.

This I didn't realize.

Part of what seems unique to me is it appears to be a privately owned (non-profit) building on a private parcel and not a Federal Building. Many non-profits (usually "Natural History Associations") run stores within Federal visitor centers.

Overall, I'm not making much sense. I'm probably splitting hairs...