Spingdale • Dark orange signs that read “ENTRANCE FEE DONATIONS” in bold white letters currently dot the walls of Zion National Park’s visitor center.
To some visitors, it may be the only real indicator of the weeks-long federal government shutdown that has left more than half of the National Park Service workforce furloughed.
Utah’s five national parks have stayed open during the federal government shutdown, but gate attendants can’t charge the usual fee. So Zion Forever Project, Zion’s nonprofit partner that put up the signs, is taking donations for the park.
Visitors have donated between $1,200 to $2,200 per day since the shutdown began on Oct. 1, according to Natalie Britt, CEO of Zion Forever Project. The most inspiring part has been the notes people leave when they donate, she said. “We’ve had people that will give $70 to say, ‘This is for me and for another family, I want to pay it forward.’”
(Brooke Larsen | The Salt Lake Tribune) Orange signs with QR codes ask Zion National Park visitors for entrance fee donations during the federal government shutdown on Friday, Oct. 10, 2025.
The entrance fee at Zion is $35 per vehicle. Despite the donations from some visitors, the park is still losing money. Thousands of people have continued to visit Zion each day during the shutdown. One day last weekend, roughly 25,000 people toured the park, according to Britt. She estimates the park is losing $35,000 to $50,000 per day in entrance fees. Those fees, she said, cover critical services at the park, such as the shuttle system.
“During a shutdown, those collections stop. Revenues can’t be replaced, and that just means things like deferred maintenance grows, projects will stall,” Britt said.
The impact of that revenue loss will be felt in the months and years to come, she added. In the immediate term, Zion Forever and the state are providing funds to keep the park running. The state of Utah is giving the Interior Department $8,000 per day to keep visitor centers open across Utah’s five national parks, and they’re committed to continue their support throughout the shutdown, said Anna Loughridge, public relations manager for the Utah Office of Tourism.
That funding, and the labor of park rangers, have helped create a semblance of normalcy for visitors.
“I feel grateful that they’re open for us,” said Carol Erbar, who visited Arches, Canyonlands, Bryce Canyon and Zion last week. “It’s been a wonderful experience. We would come back to Utah.”
She and her husband traveled from St. Louis, Missouri, and she said the park rangers were “very helpful” as they navigated Utah’s national parks for the first time.
Erbar was one of several visitors who spoke to The Tribune last week who said the park seemed to be operating smoothly amid the shutdown.
(Brooke Larsen | The Salt Lake Tribune) Visitors to Zion National Park speak with park rangers at the information desk on Friday, Oct. 10, 2025.
The visitor center was packed last Friday, and park rangers were answering questions at the information and wilderness desks. “Some rangers are being paid partially, some are not, some are working full time and being paid for limited hours,” Britt told The Tribune.
The wilderness information desk has been particularly important to keep open at Zion since 85% of the park is wilderness. At that desk, visitors receive their permit for hikes such as Angels Landing or backcountry camping. Those permits help search and rescue know where people are in the park, which becomes important if someone goes missing.
“Where minutes matter and can be the difference between life or death, this is a way that we protect and put visitor safety first,” Britt said.
The state has reallocated the funds it was giving to Cedar Breaks National Monument’s visitor center, which shut its doors this week due to routine seasonal closures, to Zion’s backcountry permitting staff, according to Natalie Randall, director of the Utah Office of Tourism.
Zion Forever also continues to operate its retail store in the park’s visitor center, and it’s providing extra staffing on the weekends to help answer visitor questions. Funds the nonprofit raises from its retail arm cover 90% of Zion’s education programs, according to Britt.
Beyond the visitor center, Zion Forever is also keeping other park programs running, such as Concrete to Canyons, which brings fifth grade students from Title 1 schools in Las Vegas and Mesquite, Nevada to the park.
As the shutdown drags on, Utahns may start to feel the impacts. “It’s getting worse and worse, and it’s going to become really, really dramatic and pretty bad in a week or two,” said Rep. Blake Moore in an interview with The Tribune earlier this month.
(Brooke Larsen | The Salt Lake Tribune) Under the Eaves Inn at Zion National Park in Springdale had a "No Vacancy" sign up on Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. The park and neighboring town of Springdale have stayed busy despite the federal government shutdown.
The gateway town of Springdale hasn’t experienced impacts from the shutdown yet, said Mayor Barbara Bruno. Visitors continue showing up, and hotels and restaurants have stayed busy. But she’s worried that may change, and park rangers are already experiencing financial woes.
“I’ve learned that some of the employees who aren’t getting a paycheck are starting to worry,” she said.
Zion Forever is working with local restaurants and service organizations to begin providing direct service support, such as meals, to furloughed and unpaid national park staff by next week.
“Many of our National Park Service colleagues live right here in our Utah communities,” Britt said in an email statement. “They are parents, church members and neighbors. They are the reason Zion remains accessible, safe and welcoming to millions of visitors. As the shutdown continues, we are mindful that these dedicated public servants may soon face challenges meeting even their most basic needs.”