Bryce Canyon National Park News Release
October 2, 2013 14-01
For Immediate Release
Kathleen Gonder, 435-834-4740
Government Shutdown Forces Closure of Bryce Canyon National Park
Bryce, Utah – Because of the shutdown of the federal government caused by the lapse in appropriations, the National Park Service (NPS) has closed all 401 national parks, including Bryce Canyon National Park. All visitor facilities including the Visitor Center, park lodging, campgrounds, trails and roads – except for Highway 12, a State Highway – are closed. The park will remain closed until the government reopens. In addition, all park programs and special events have been canceled, including all youth education programs.
Bryce Canyon N.P. hosts 3,900 visitors on average each day in October; nationally, more than 715,000 visitors a day frequent the National Park System. The park will lose an estimated $13,000 in other fees and the Bryce Canyon Natural History Association will lose an estimated $9-10,000 per day. Nationwide the NPS stands to lose approximately $450,000 per day in lost revenue from fees collected at entry stations and fees paid for in-park activities such as cave tours, boat rides and camping. Gateway communities across the country see about $76 million per day in total sales from visitor spending that is lost during a government shutdown. Visitors spend about $88.7 million a year in the communities around Bryce Canyon National Park.
In Bryce Canyon N.P., 58 employees are on furlough because of the shutdown and another 150 concessions & association employees are similarly affected. Seventeen employees remain on duty, providing security and emergency services. Nationwide the shutdown has also furloughed more than 20,000 National Park Service employees; approximately 3,000 employees remain on duty to ensure essential health, safety, and security functions at parks and facilities. About 12,000 park concessions employees are also affected.
Because it will not be maintained, the National Park Service website will be down for the duration of the shutdown. NPS.gov as more than 750,000 pages and 91 million unique visitors each year.
For updates on the shutdown, please visit www.doi.gov/shutdown.