KANARRAVILLE, Utah (AP) — A community in southwest Utah has begun charging visitors to hike a popular slot canyon.
Hikers at Kanarraville Falls began paying $8 for an individual permit this month.
The Salt Lake Tribune reports about 40,000 people travel to the town of Kanarraville every year to hike the scenic slot canyon.
Local officials hope the permit requirement will reduce the number of visitors to ensure the canyon’s resources are not degraded. The community of 350 residents taps the canyon for drinking water.
Outdoor recreational spots across Utah are seeing more visitors.
Vicki Varela is Utah’s director of tourism, film and global branding. She says Kanaraville appears to be “doing exactly the right thing.”
The National Park Service and Bureau of Land Management for years have required permits at other Utah trails.
