Popular Utah national park reopens to visitors. Three hours later, crowds shut it down

Three hours after reopening, a popular Utah national park was at capacity and had to turn visitors away.

Arches National Park in Moab, Utah, reopened at 6 a.m. Friday after being shut down in late March by the coronavirus. By 9 a.m. the park was packed.

Then it closed again, except for those inside.

“The park is currently full, and we are temporarily delaying additional entries,” the park said on Twitter. “Vehicles trying to enter the park will have to come back at another time. Consider returning 3 hours from now or visiting other nearby attractions.”

Arches and nearby Canyonlands national parks were closed March 28in an effort to reduce the spread of coronavirus, according to the park.

Starting Friday, however, all park roads, trails and restrooms were reopened. Climbing and canyoneering permits are expected to be available Saturday, the park said.

Visitor centers, park stores, backcountry camping and Devils Garden Campground remain closed.

“While these areas are accessible for visitors to enjoy, a return to full operations will continue to be phased and some services may be limited,” the park said. “In the event that visitation levels exceed parking capacity, traffic control measures may be taken. When recreating, the public should follow local area health orders from the Southeast Utah Health Department, practice Leave No Trace principles, avoid crowding, and avoid high-risk outdoor activities.”

Entrance fees at some national parks are also suspended as the coronavirus lingers.

More than 1.5 million people visit Arches National Park each year, the park said. In 2019, nearly 1.7 million people visited the park, according to National Park Service data.

The park is part of Utah’s “The Mighty 5” national parks, which also includes Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef and Zion.

Zion, Capitol Reef and Bryce Canyon national parks have also reopened to visitors.

This story was originally published May 29, 2020 at 4:49 PM with the headline "Popular Utah national park reopens to visitors. Three hours later, crowds shut it down."