Zion National Park warns of ticket scalping for shuttles

ST. GEORGE, Utah — Officials at Zion National Park have started plans to reopen shuttles into the park for next season and are hoping to avoid ticket scalping, where people purchase and resell the tickets for higher prices.

A temporary shuttle ticket system was introduced over the summer that required visitors to purchase a $1 ticket and reserve a ride time to help reduce overcrowding during the coronavirus pandemic, The Spectrum reported.

The shuttle was sold out for days in advance throughout the summer and remained booked despite releasing some tickets the day before or day of, officials said.

Park spokesperson Amanda Rowland said that tickets were also resold, though the exact number is unknown. She emphasized that resold tickets are invalid and would not be honored “if the Recreation.gov account holder listed on the ticket is not present,” citing the need for a valid ID to ride the shuttle.

Park officials are working with law enforcement and the Assistant United States Attorney to monitor the situation. It is unclear if resellers will face legal repercussions.

“If you purchase tickets anywhere besides Recreation.gov, your ticket is not valid, and you will be taking the chance of spending money without being able to get on the shuttle,” Rowland said, adding that they are still in planning stages for next season.