Permits You Can Obtain in Advance
Permits for overnight backcountry trips are required at both parks, and can be obtained at visitor centers. At Bryce Canyon, permits must be purchased in person on a first-come, first-served basis. At Zion, you can purchase a backcountry permit at the visitor center the day before or the day of your trip, and reservations for permits can be made in advance through the park's website, www.nps.gov/zion, although they must still be picked up in person at the visitor center.
Those planning to fish must first purchase state fishing licenses, which are available at sporting goods stores and other businesses throughout Utah. For additional information contact the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, 1594 W. North Temple (P.O. Box 146301), Salt Lake City, UT 84114-6301 (tel. 877/592-5169 for recorded information or 801/538-4700; fax 801/538-4745; www.wildlife.utah.gov), for their current Utah Fishing Proclamation. Zion National Park offers limited fishing opportunities; there are no bodies of water appropriate for fishing at Bryce Canyon National Park, although there is fishing nearby. Hunting is not permitted in either national park.
Tips: Passes Offer Free Admission on Most Federal Lands
Those who enjoy vacationing at national parks, national forests, and other federal lands have a new annual pass, but for most of us it will cost more than the old passes that have now been phased out. The America the Beautiful -- National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass, which went on sale in 2007, costs $80 for the general public. It provides free admission for the pass holder and those in his or her vehicle to recreation sites that charge vehicle entrance fees on lands administered by the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Bureau of Reclamation. At areas that charge per-person fees, the passes are good for the pass holder plus three additional adults. Children under 16 are admitted free.
The pass, which is good for one year from the date of purchase, replaces the National Parks Pass, which was limited to only properties administered by the National Park Service (but cost only $50), and the Golden Eagle Passport, which provided free entry to all the federal lands covered by the new pass and cost $65. The new passes are also available for U.S. citizens and permanent residents 62 and older for a lifetime fee of $10 (the same as the former Golden Age Passport), and are free for U.S. residents and permanent residents with disabilities (also the same as the former Golden Access Passport).
