Caring for our VIPs

$130,000 Needed

For parks working with limited federal budgets, the hard work of dedicated volunteers and the financial support of generous donors are essential to ensuring the margin of excellence in educational programs. Cedar Breaks National Monument is no exception. At this accessible high-alpine site, volunteers play a significant role in assisting park staff with the park’s signature events each season, including the popular summer Wildflower Festival, the annual BioBlast (wildlife event), and its many night sky focused presentations.

With the ever-increasing need for Volunteers in Parks (VIPs), Cedar Breaks requires funding to provide more housing solutions for its VIPs. Cedar Breaks is seeking support to increase the number of RV sites with full hookups from two to six as well as for the construction of a new restroom facility with full sinks and showers to enhance the VIP loop. Additionally, the project is looking to add two group campsites to provide even more capacity for volunteers during Cedar’s busy summer season.

Each new RV site will be designed for long-term use, and will include access to electricity, water, and sewer, as well as a concrete pad on which to park the RV, a picnic table, and a fire ring. To accommodate the new sewer needs, the project will require extending the existing sewer line to service the new RV sites. Each new group campsite will accommodate up to 12 campers and include tent pads, fire rings, picnic tables, and parking for up to five vehicles. This initiative will also provide quality high-speed internet access to the RV sites, something that is currently lacking. The new sites will match the park’s existing RV pads and be angled to complement the flow of traffic around the loop.

Cedar Break’s new housing solutions will triple the number of spaces in the VIP loop. This will allow it to increase its VIP team to meet the increased demand over the last decade, and further meet demand in the years to come. Moreover, by tripling the number of spaces in the VIP loop, Cedar Breaks will have facilities to both recruit more volunteers and keep them in the park longer, allowing for the expansion to programming and services.

$100,000 has already been granted from Iron County for the project, meaning your dollars will be matched and counted double for this important project. Securing funding through the Zion Forever Project means an improved visitor experience as well as more capacity and better infrastructure at the monument’s campground making sure that everyone has a VIP experience.