SAN JUAN COUNTY, Utah — Visitors funneling into Utah for this weekend's eclipse are being asked to be respectful to the land they'll travel upon to get the best views of the "Ring of Fire."
FULL LIST: Eclipse viewing parties across Utah
Highways, parks and most open spaces in the central and southern parts of the state are expected to be jam-packed ahead of Saturday morning's annular eclipse.
The "Visit with Respect" campaign with the Bears Ears Parternship near Bluff, Utah was originally created in 2016 to educate visitors about responsible and respectful visitation while on the landscape. Those lessons are even more important as thousands upon thousands will descend to watch the eclipse.
"We would like visitors to keep in mind would be staying on designated trails and don't bust the crest which applies to vehicles, staying on roads and people staying on the trails," said Semira Crank, Program Director with "Visit with Respect."
Visitors are also asked to keep their hands off some of the ancient and valuable artwork found on rocks in the area that could be hundreds of years old.
"Don't touch rock imagery or make your own because we don't want visitors to put their fingertips on rock imagery because the oils on our fingers can cause it to degrade over time," added Crank.
Because many of the prime eclipse viewing areas in Utah are located in remote areas of the state, those traveling to see the event should expect those locations to be void of simple luxuries such as grocery stores or gas stations.
Anyone heading to rural locations are asked to take a page out of the Boy Scouts handbook.
"We do ask that when people come to visit, they come prepared," warned Education Director Sarah Burak. "So they're bringing food, they're bringing water, they fuel before they get here because we do expect that our little gas station will probably run out of gas.
"...and then we ask that people come early and then be prepared to stay because if we do have a large influx of visitors, it may take a while to get out of here."
With its total population measured in the low hundreds, this weekend's eclipse traffic may make tiny Bluff one of the biggest cities in Utah.
"We've been preparing anywhere from an influx of 5,000 to 20,000 people and for a community of roughly 200, that's huge," laughed Burak, although the concerns of a town being overrun are valid.
Residents have volunteered to help with parking, as well as putting up road closure signs so visitors know where they need to stay away from to not endanger themselves or the landscape. Food trucks are being brought in to help support local restaurants that may have staffing issues.
For those visitors who wish to bring their four-legged family members to the eclipse festivities should remember to keep pets leashed and be aware of where they're allowed in the region.
