This article is published through the Utah News Collaborative, a partnership of news organizations in Utah that aim to inform readers across the state.
When someone breaks an ankle in The Narrows or gets heat exhaustion on Angel’s Landing, one of Zion National Park’s search and rescue teams comes to their aid.
But the increasingly large crowds flocking to the southwest Utah park threaten to strain the workforce charged with keeping its visitors safe.
The park had 193 search and rescue incidents in 2024, spokesperson Matthew Fink said, mostly concentrated between Memorial Day and Labor Day. During that peak season, it’s not uncommon for Zion to field multiple complex emergency calls in a single day. That can take a toll on the rescuers.
“We have to work with the resources that we have, because this is a no-fail mission,” Fink said. “So, we have enough staff to respond to incidents. It’s just the concern that comes up is burnout.”
Zion’s yearly visitation has nearly doubled since 2010, but the park’s total number of employees has gone down. President Donald Trump’s ongoing federal hiring freeze — paired with ranger job cuts and buyouts earlier this year — hasn’t helped the situation, leaving many parks even more understaffed than normal.
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