CANYONLANDS NATIONAL PARK, Utah — The Needles District inside Canyonlands National Park is set to reopen this weekend after being closed for weeks due to the nearby Babylon Fire.
Starting at 8 a.m. Saturday, the district will once again open to the public, according to the National Park Service, although Elephant Hill, Lavender, and Davis Canyon Roads will remain closed to motor vehicle traffic and bicycles.
The district was closed earlier this month as the Babylon Fire grew in San Juan County. As of Friday, the fire was 82 percent contained after burning over 107,000 acres.
In addition to the Needles District being reopened, State Highway 211 to the Canyonlands Boundary was opened on Friday, and inside Manti-La Sal National Forest, the areas southeast of Blue Mountain Ranch Road and Recapture Road, including all Forest Service lands and trails, are now open.
"We are excited to reopen these public lands for your use and enjoyment. As you enter these reopened areas, please be aware of increased fire traffic in the area," the National Park Service wrote.
Additional areas are expected to be reopened over the next few weeks.
