A collaborative effort has gained permanent protection for a section of the Zion Narrows Trail that winds through Simon Gulch on the northern border of Zion National Park/Mike Schirf

A collaboration between state, federal, and local officials, along with private landowners and the National Park Foundation, has gained permanent protection for the entire 16-mile-long Zion Narrows Trail that winds through a deep slot canyon in Zion National Park.

The news was announced by the Trust for Public Land, which long has worked to protect lands in and around the red-rock jewel of the National Park System. Joining with the Trust to achieve protection of the entire trail were the State of Utah, Washington (Utah) County, U.S. Forest Service, private landowners, the National Park Foundation, and the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation.

Known for its slot canyons and towering walls that are 1,000 feet tall in places, hiking this iconic trail is considered the quintessential Zion experience, and is one of the most famous hikes in the world.

The groups' effort brought protection to the last unprotected mile along the trail, a section that runs through Simon Gulch on the northern boundary of the park (see map below). Along with ensuring that Zion hikers will have uninterrupted access to the world-famous Zion Narrows Trail, the development means that the encompassing 880 acres of upland on the edge of the park will remain undeveloped.

“Our iconic national parks, like Zion, represent this country at our best,” said Diane Regas, CEO of The Trust for Public Land.  “It took extraordinary commitment from many partners with diverse views to protect this majestic place for people, and shows we can do tremendous things when we work together. The permanent protection of the Zion Narrows Trail will give people the opportunity to experience this special place, in perpetuity.”

The Trust for Public Land has a long history of working with partners to protect and expand the park. The Trust was responsible for protecting a 35-acre inholding along the popular Hop Valley Trail in 2018 in partnership with the National Park Foundation and the National Park Trust. In 2013, The Trust for Public Land and the National Parks Conservation Association combined efforts to protect Tabernacle Dome, and the Trust helped protect the 300-acre Chamberlin Ranch, which includes the trailhead by which the Zion Narrows Trail is accessed.

The Trust for Public Land ensures access to the Narrows Trail into Zion National Park from theTrustforPublicLand on Vimeo.

“To experience the Zion Narrows Trail is to experience something out of this world,” said Will Shafroth, president of the National Park Foundation. “The National Park Foundation commends the State of Utah, Washington County, U.S. Forest Service, the Trust for Public Land, and the Eccles Foundation for their leadership in protecting this trail in its entirety and increasing access to it.”

This project protects not only the one-mile segment of trail in the Zion Narrows, but it also protects 880 acres of land adjacent to the national park through a conservation easement. The landowner has voluntarily entered into a perpetual conservation easement with the Utah Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands. Funding for the acquisition was provided by the U.S. Forest Service’s Forest Legacy Program, Washington County,  LeRay McAllister Critical Lands Conservation Fund administered by the Quality Growth Commission of Utah, National Park Foundation, Utah Division of Parks and Recreation and Federal Highway Administration's, Recreational Trails Program and others. 

Across the country, there is a significant amount of privately-owned land in and around national parks that is at risk of development, raising concerns about preserving the sanctity of these special places. Known as inholdings and edgeholdings, these properties can also make management challenging and impact visitor experience by creating unsuitable development or blocking public access.

According to recent research from The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, 9.52 million acres of public land are “landlocked,” including 264,000 acres in Utah. In recent years, The Trust for Public Land has also protected land for the public inside and around many other popular national parks around the country including Yosemite, Rocky Mountain, and Saguaro national parks. This project is the 206th project The Trust for Public Land has completed within or at the boundaries of a national park. 

“Our family is pleased to work with The Trust for Public Land and partners from Utah and beyond to share and protect this unique place for future generations,” said the Bulloch family, the sellers of the newly protected property, in a statement. “The Zion Narrows Trail attracts visitors from around the world, and we are happy that it will now be properly protected and managed in its entirety. We are proud to formally share this area with the world both now and into the future.”