Wildfires tank summer tourism in southern Utah
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Tourism is cratering in southern Utah after massive wildfires made national headlines.
The intrigue: People are canceling trips weeks in advance due to fires that will almost certainly be gone by the time they arrive, one business owner tells ABC 4.
What they're saying: "Some folks hear 'forest fire' and assume millions of square miles are somehow smoked out," Anne Torrence and Robert Marc wrote in a newsletter last week from Etta Place Cidery, which they operate in Torrey.
By the numbers: Dan Groves, who owns Hoovers River Resort in Paiute county, told ABC 4 he's lost 75% of his business this year — the third consecutive season where wildfires deterred customers at the resort, which opened in 1936.
- His employees have started a GoFundMe to help the business stay afloat.
Zoom out: "Really anywhere south of I-70 is in the same predicament and would be happy to welcome you," Torrence and Marc wrote.
The other side: "There are some amazing bargains for vacation lodging right now," they added.
Meanwhile, the national parks are far less crowded than usual.
- A shocked friend of mine sent photos of her family enjoying Bryce Canyon and Zion national parks in near-solitude after they visited on Sunday and Monday.
- On Thursday, they arrived at the Springdale entry gate at 8am with just one car ahead of theirs in line.
What's next: The word in Torrey is that folks aren't canceling their September reservations — so plan a trip soon if you want to snag a deal.
Sheepish reflection: Reader Walter K. gently chastised us a couple of weeks ago over a dramatic photo we shared of a Goblin Valley hoodoo nearly obscured by smoke.
- The image was a few days old, and the air had already cleared, Walter told us, noting: "Our communities down here rely on our summer tourist traffic quite a bit."
- Point taken, Walter! To help make up for it, here's my friend's inviting photo of the nearly-empty Navajo Loop in Bryce Canyon:
