ST. GEORGE — As visitors pour into Zion National Park for the Memorial Day weekend, the wait time to hike Angels Landing is several hours as of Sunday afternoon.
The park recommends that visitors choose another trail or arrive earlier Monday to hike Angels Landing, warning that those who are not in line soon may not have time to finish the hike before dark.
“Today may be the busiest day of the weekend,” the park wrote in a Facebook post.
There is currently no parking available within the park. Visitors are advised to park in Springdale or to try again after 3:30 p.m.
The park has been experimenting with a new line management system for the popular hike, starting the queue at the Grotto instead of Scout Lookout as in past years. Starting the line at the Grotto gives those waiting access to restrooms and water.
Read more: During Zion’s busiest weekend, park staff to experiment with new queue location for Angels Landing
Groups of five people are being sent up the trail every three minutes in order to space hikers apart, park spokesperson Aly Baltrus told St. George News.
Limiting the flow of visitors up the trail is helping to minimize crowding and congestion on the chained portion of the hike in an effort to improve visitor safety and experience.
On Saturday, the first day the park managed the line, the new queueing system worked to keep congestion on the trail to a minimum. Wait times to start the hike were around two hours after 8:30 a.m.
Those wanting to hike the West Rim Trail to Scout Lookout and beyond Angels Landing may do so without waiting in line. Only those wanting to hike the chained portion to the summit of Angels Landing must wait.
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