Zion National Park remains on pace for record visitation

New numbers show the stunning red rocks at Zion National Park are on pace to set another record for visitation, as park managers consider a first-of-its-kind plan to require visitors to make reservations to enter the park.

The Spectrum reports the crowds at Zion continue to stay ahead of last year’s record pace, with 2.7 million visitors to the park as of the official July count, a 5 percent increase over 2016, when the park ended up with 4.3 million for the year.

Attendance at Zion has risen steadily over the past decade, up some 60 percent since 2010, when there were 2.7 million visitors for the year.

Park officials are developing a new visitor management plan to address overcrowding, with drafts suggesting a reservation system could be implemented.