The National Park Service (NPS) announced the signing of the South Entrance Redesign Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) in July 2024. The project will improve road circulation and safety by realigning the roadway from the South Entrance Fee Station to the Zion Canyon Visitor Center.
This work is anticipated to improve roadway circulation by: separating vehicular, bicycle, and pedestrian traffic to reduce user group conflicts; creating pedestrian connections and intuitive wayfinding; modernizing infrastructure while improving compliance with the Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The FONSI records the decision of the NPS to redesign the Zion Canyon South Entrance to improve road circulation and safety. This action is described as Alternative B in the Environmental Assessment (EA) released for public review in March 2024. The EA and associated FONSI documents, to include the Non-Impairment Determination, are available on the NPS Planning, Environment & Public Comment (PEPC) website at: parkplanning.nps.gov/ZIONSEntryRedesign.
“Hikers, bikers, drivers, and shuttle riders are all going to benefit from these improvements. Zion is thankful to the transportation professionals who developed the plan and to members of the public and other stakeholders who shared feedback during our public comment period earlier this year,” said Zion National Park Superintendent, Jeff Bradybaugh.
The public scoping period for the Zion Canyon South Entrance Redesign EA occurred from May 16 through June 17, 2022. Comments received from the public were considered by park management in the development of the EA. The EA was released for public review on March 12, 2024, and the NPS accepted comments through April 10, 2024. Forty-nine responses were received during the comment period. All comments on the EA were examined by park management and were considered in the development of the FONSI.
