Zion National Park - Backcountry Use Limits (U.S. National Park Service)

Use limits are based on zoning created through Zion’s 2001 General Management Plan and standards created through Zion’s 2007 Backcountry Management Plan. The use limits will be adjusted as the condition of backcountry resources change.

Use Limits 2008
Area	Use Limit	Limiting Factor
Zion Narrows	12 groups/night 40 day users/day	Social/Primitive Zone
LaVerkin Creek	17 groups/night	Social/Primitive Zone. Day use is currently not limited.
West Rim	9 groups/night	Social/Primitive Zone. Day use is currently not limited.
Subway (Left Fork)	80 people/day	Social/Primitive Zone
Pine Creek Canyon	50 people/day	Mexican spotted owls/Primitive Zone¹
Keyhole Canyon	80 people/day	Social/Primitive Zone
Orderville Canyon	50 people/day	Mexican spotted owls/Primitive Zone¹
Mystery Canyon	12 people/day	Eroded access trail/Pristine Zone
Spry Canyon	12 people/day	Eroded access trail/Pristine Zone
Behunin Canyon	12 people/day	Mexican spotted owls/Pristine Zone¹
Echo Canyon	12 people/day	Mexican spotted owls/Pristine Zone¹
Englestead Canyon	12 people/day	Mexican spotted owls/Pristine Zone¹
¹In areas where Mexican spotted owls are a limiting factor, use limits will be raised to 20 or 80 people/day outside the nesting season (March 1 through August 31).

If conditions improve, use limits could be raised. For example, if the erosion issue occurring on the exit trail from Spry Canyon continues to improve, the use limit for Spry Canyon will be raised to 20 people/day. The Social standard would become the limiting factor.

Social standards are based on the number of encounters with other groups that backcountry visitors experience.

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