The National Park Services has announced that Bryce Canyon National Park will be closed until further notice. The closure comes in response to the current COVID-19 pandemic. The park will close at 5 p.m. MST on Tuesday, April 7th. The closure has gained the support of the Southwest Utah Public Health Department, the Garfield County Commission as well as the Bryce community members.

In a press release the National Park Service stated that a letter was received from the health department recommending the park be closed. It stated, “Upon receiving this request, Superintendent Linda Mazzu, with the support of the NPS Deputy Director, Operations, David Vela and Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt, made the decision to close the park until further notice.”

The health and safety of visitors, employees, locals, volunteers and painters in and around the park was the top priority, stated Mazzu. “Continued visitation to Bryce Canyon made it hard to maintain the thresholds needed to ensure a safe visit, which is why this temporary closure is so important,” stated Mazzu in the press release.

In a statement made by the Garfield County Commissioners, the county in which Bryce Canyon is located, they stated, “It is a difficult decision, but one we can make knowing we are doing the will of the majority.”

During the park’s closure, the National Park Service encourages people to take advantage of the different digital tools that are available online.

More information on those services, as well as the full article with insight from local business can be found on St. George News.