Zion National Park bursting, even in winter

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Officials at Southern Utah’s Zion National Park say they’re being overrun by visitors, even during the usual winter lull.
The Salt Lake Tribune reports that rangers have had to block tour buses and oversize vehicles from Zion Canyon to control the crowds during the holiday season. Cars are sometimes rushed through the toll gate without the usual $30-per-vehicle charge.
Visitation is expected to top 4 million for 2016, a record. Winter visitation is up the most, nearly 70 percent since 2010.
Park ranger John Marciano says the season of snow on red rock used to be a time to regroup, but this season the staff is stretched thin.
It’s gotten so full that some residents of nearby Springdale are calling on the state to tone down its national parks-focused tourism campaign.