Shutdown leaves national parks open but fee revenue shut off

During the ongoing fed­eral government shutdown, visitors continue to stream into Zion, Bryce Canyon, and other southern Utah national parks, but no one is paying to get in. Entrance stations are unstaffed, and fee booths sit empty while the state helps keep the parks running.

Entrance station, Zion National Park, Utah. Image via National Park Service.

Utah stepped in early in the shutdown to fund basic operations - a move Gover­nor Spencer Cox said was necessary to prevent local economies from collapsing - but the missing federal staff means the parks are open for free, and that is leaving a growing hole in the budget.

At Zion National Park, where fall weekends often bring crowds of 20,000 or more, park officials esti­mate the loss at $35,000 to $50,000 per day in un­collected entrance fees, according to the Salt Lake Tribune. “Because of the shutdown, Zion isn’t col­lecting entrance fees … that leaves a hole in the park’s budget,” KUER reported.

Across the rest of Utah’s “Mighty Five,” the impact adds up fast. Based on visitation numbers from 2024, the estimated daily losses are roughly $18,000 to $26,000 at Bryce Can­yon, $10,000 to $15,000 each at Arches and Capi­tol Reef, and $6,000 to $9,000 at Canyonlands. Combined, that is about $79,000 to $115,000 per day in missing revenue for southern Utah’s parks.

If the shutdown contin­ues through November, those losses could total more than $3 million statewide. That money normally funds mainte­nance, ranger programs and trail repairs. In nor­mal years, 80 percent of entrance fees stay within the park where they are collected.

Utah’s state funding keeps restrooms open, trash collected, and emer­gency services operating, but it cannot replace the federal revenue stream. In previous shutdowns, Utah spent about $1.5 million in state money to keep the parks open for just ten days, later seek­ing reimbursement from Washington.

Tourism remains a vital part of Utah’s economy, generating more than $3.1 billion in 2024, ac­cording to state tourism data. Without the steady income from entrance fees, park managers and local communities may be left covering the gap until federal operations resume.