Vegas/Zion Covid situation
 

Hi -
I am planning to start my trip to Zion national Park this Saturday 7/31/21, however, I am reluctant due to the increasing Covid cases.
Has anyone recently returned from Zion? Is it safe? Was Covid precautions taken seriously? Did anyone get sick? Thank you all.

I'd be more concerned about Las Vegas where you'll likely spend much more time indoors... because temps will be well over 100F every day next week.

I've heard from several people that Zion is VERY crowded this summer, but at least you're outside. Expect parking inside the park to be scarce-to-nonexistent unless you arrive well before the gates open.

Neither Nevada nor Utah has a particularly high vaccination rate among residents.

Unless you are unvaccinated and plan on rubbing shoulders indoors in Las Vegas I'm not really sure what your actual concerns are.

I would be most concerned about the shuttle busses. Maybe rent a bike so you do not need to go on them.

Shuttles are required to enter Zion Canyon and are operating at full capacity on a first come, first served basis with masks required https://www.nps.gov/zion/planyourvis...tle-system.htm Wait times could be long. Alternatives are private tours/shuttles, bikes, walking.

There are other less visited parts of Zion (Kolob Canyons, Kolob Terrace Road) that you can drive to. These are also located at higher elevations so will be cooler. Drive time from Springdale will be 45 minutes to an hour each way.

The bike ride from Sprindale up Zion Canyon is beautiful. The first stretch you can do on a bike/walking trail, the remainder is on the main road. I believe there are rules bikes need to follow regarding pulling over for shuttle buses but other than that it's a nice ride espeically at dawn before there are any vehicles. Gradual uphill the whole way. Gradual downhill the way back is even better. There is at least one place in Springdale you can rent bikes from. You'll want to reserve ahead of time.

You can rent a regular bike or an ebike (pedal assist).