With the reopening of Bryce Canyon National Park, many are looking forward to planning trips to the park. Countless physical and mental health benefits come from enjoying the great outdoors. Yet, despite this reopening, state officials are warning the public that now is not the time to ease COVID-19 mitigation efforts, as the novel coronavirus continues to spread throughout the state. Utah’s Department of Natural Resources has created the Responsible Recreation campaign to help visitors to Utah’s state and national parks find a balance between enjoying the parks and the beauties they offer, while still being responsible and helping to slow the spread of COVID-19.

What is the Responsible Recreation initiative?

State officials understand that time outside has many benefits. They saw the need to get the parks reopened, but they also understand the need to ensure the health and safety of the public. To encourage this, state officials have released the #ResponsibleRecreation. This is a simple three-part initiative that all visitors to State and National Parks can follow.

The easy steps of #ResponsibleRecreation are:

• Social Distancing
• Staying Home When You’re Sick
• “Pack It In – Pack It Out”

Social Distancing

Since the start of the novel coronavirus pandemic, health officials have been stressing the importance of social distancing. The CDC believes that one of the main ways that COVID-19 is thought to spread is by droplets when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks. Health officials have recommended that when out in public, people should try to maintain a distance of 6 feet between others, not to gather in groups, and avoid crowded places.

What does social distancing look like while in Bryce Canyon National Park? There are simple steps that can be taken to ensure public health and safety while enjoying what Bryce Canyon has to offer.

These steps include:

• Avoiding popular common areas
• Try to keep the trailheads clear of congestion
• Wear a face mask

Staying Home

While it can be tempting to make a quick getaway to Bryce Canyon, to help alleviate some of the cabin fever and get out and enjoy some fresh air, both park and health officials are encouraging the public to stay home if you have tested positive for COVID-19 or are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. 

Park and State officials are also asking visitors to use the “Clean-Avoid-Cover” guidelines. All this requires, is to wash your hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, avoid close contact with people who are experiencing flu-like symptoms, and cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing. Taking these simple steps can help ensure the safety of visitors to Bryce Canyon National Park.

Pack It In – Pack It Out

The last part of the #ResponsibleRecreate campaign is the “Pack It In – Pack It Out” principle. This part of the campaign focuses more on the well being of the park than the visitors. As Bryce Canyon starts to receive more visitors, it is extremely important that the park stay cleans. With more visitors to the park, park officials and workers want to avoid an increase in trash and littering. They are simply asking that visitors take their trash and waste with them. This will keep the park’s ecosystems healthy, and ensure Bryce Canyon continues to look beautiful. 

With the parks reopening, and local governments slowly reopening local economies, now is a great time to come visit Bryce Canyon. The park provides a perfect opportunity to enjoy the breathtaking scenery while helping to support the local businesses in the park’s surrounding area.