Infos zum Zion NP

Das „Einmal-im-Leben-Erlebnis“: „Glamping“ im Zion National Park

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Aufwachen mit Blick auf die leuchtenden Felsen des Zion National Parks. Im Zelt die Wüste hautnah spüren. Beim Lagerfeuer Natur und Sternenhimmel genießen. Fast allein auf der Welt sein – aber mit Lifestyle-Ambiente, eigenem Bad, Premiumrestaurant um die Ecke, Massagen und vielem mehr. Das ist Glamping: Camping mit Glamour und Komfort. In den Weiten Utahs bietet CRD International jetzt diesen Outdoor-Luxus vom Feinsten an. Das Paket enthält zwei Übernachtungen in den Deluxe-Zelten des „Under Canvas® Camps“ – wahlweise für zwei Personen, kleine Gruppen oder Familien. Aktivprogramme runden das Abenteuer ab: vom Wüstenritt über den Helikopterflug bis zur UTV-Tour durchs Gelände.
Natur trifft Luxus
„Das ist ein echtes „once in a lifetime“-Erlebnis“, so Friedrich Roth von CRD International. „Natur trifft Luxus: Die Lage im Westen des spektakulären Nationalparks und das Wüstenfeeling sind schon einzigartig. Dazu kommen die komfortabel und stylish ausgestatteten Zelte mit Badezimmer und Terrasse, viel Platz und Privatsphäre drum herum. Und der komfortable Service des Camps.“ Der Nordamerikaspezialist bietet den neuen Outdoor- und Zeltgenuss ab März 2019 an.
Zelte in verschiedenen Größen – auch für kleine Gruppen und Familien
Genießer und Naturfans haben die Wahl zwischen Deluxe-Zelten für zwei Personen und größeren Einheiten für kleine Gruppen und Familien – dann gibt es ein Schwesternzelt im Tipi-Stil dazu. Das Restaurant im Haupthaus des Camps serviert auf Wunsch alle Mahlzeiten. Für individuelle Barbecues unterm Sternenhimmel – die Region hat ein besonders sauberes Licht – stehen Feuerstellen zur Verfügung.

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Kolob Canyons Reopens

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Closed since road re-construction began in May 2018, the facilities in the Kolob Canyons District of Zion National Park will reopen on Friday February 8, 2019.

The project involved reconstructing sections of the road, repaving the entire road, and adding accessible parking, sidewalk, and two new bathroom facilities. The intensive slope, drainage and grading portions of the project are complete and the road is now open for visitor use. In the Spring when the weather improves, contractors will return to complete final paving and finish remaining project details, but the road will remain open during that work. Expect some traffic delays during final paving in the Spring.

The Kolob Canyons Visitor Center, parking lot off of Interstate 15, and all of the Kolob Canyons Road will be open February 8th. The Taylor Creek Trail, the Timber Creek Overlook Trail, Lee Pass Trailhead, and other areas served via the Kolob Canyons Road will also be available to the public.

Weather-related closures may still occur so visitors are asked to check road and trail conditions and plan accordingly. For the latest news refer to the Park website, Twitter feed, or Facebook posts.

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Trail Closures
The Kayenta Trail and Upper Emerald Pools Trail are closed until further notice due to storm damage. The Hidden Canyon Trail was closed on Aug. 28, 2018 due to a rockfall. Observation Point (from Weeping Rock) was closed on Jan. 18, 2019 due to rockfall.

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Arizona man rescued from quicksand at Zion National Park in Utah

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A 34-year-old Arizona man was rescued after his leg sunk down to his knee in quicksand during a hike at Zion National Park in Utah on Saturday.
Park officials said on Monday that the man, who was not identified, was hiking in the Left Fork of the North Creek when he became stuck and was unable to free himself.
He was not alone at the time, his female hiking companion was with him, but their combined efforts to free him were fruitless. Before the woman left for help, she gave the man extra clothes to keep warm. Temperatures on the trail were frigid and reached the low teens, park officials said.
The woman then hiked for three hours in order to gain cellphone service and call emergency authorities, park officials said. When she was located by authorities, they had to treat her for hypothermia.
When the park rangers located the man several hours later, he showed signs of hypothermia, exposure and injuries to his extremities, park officials said. It took several hours to free him from the quicksand.
The park rangers ended up spending the night with the man because he was in no condition to hike out. While there, they began to rewarm him and treat his leg as four inches of snow fell overnight, park officials said.
On Sunday morning, Feb. 17, a Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter responded from Salt Lake City, Utah, to pick the man up. However, according to park officials, winter storms in the area caused low visibility, delaying the helicopter's rescue.
Once a small break in the weather occurred in the afternoon, park officials said the DPS helicopter was able to safely get the man out of the park. He was then transported to a hospital by ambulance.
Quicksand is not normally a problem in the park, said Aly Baltus, spokeswoman for Zion National Park. However, she said the weather at the time was a contributing factor to its formation.
"Colder temperatures, shorter days, snow, ice, and cold run-off can make easy hikes difficult and strenuous ones treacherous," Baltus said. "Visitors are advised to use extreme caution during poor weather events at Zion."

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Da habe ich mich gestern wohl irgendwie vertan....

Hier ein Bericht auf deutsch dazu:
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Das Unglück passierte auf dem Hike zur "Subway".
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Zion-Mount Carmel Highway Closed due to Road Damage from Storms

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The Zion-Mount Carmel Highway was closed the evening of March 2, 2019, after reports of an active rockslide on the switchbacks below the tunnel. The area was assessed in the morning of March 3, 2019. A retaining wall failed and eight feet of the road is severely undercut east of the 1st switchback. The Zion-Mount Carmel Highway and Tunnel from the East Entrance to Canyon Junction, is closed until further notice.

Due to this storm, access to Canyon Overlook Trail, near the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel, is closed. Several canyonneering routes have also been closed because they are normally accessed from the closed road. These include Keyhole, Canyon Overlook, Pine Creek, Spry, Clear Creek, Fat Man’s Misery, and Lodge Canyons. The East Rim Trail head is accessible from Zion’s East Entrance. Staff are currently checking trail conditions on the remaining trails.

Alternate east and west driving routes are available via Highway 59 from Hurricane, Utah to Fredonia, Arizona and Highway 14 from Cedar City, Utah to Long Valley Junction and Highway 89. People coming from Interstate 15 to the Park may access the Park as usual by traveling east on State Route 9 through Springdale. All Park facilities including the visitor center, museum, campgrounds, and shuttle buses are open and operating as normal in Zion Canyon. The Kolob Canyons facilities and Kolob Terrace are open as usual.

Visitors should expect trail closures. The Kayenta Trail and Upper Emerald Pools Trail remain closed due to a landslide that has continued to settle since July, 2018. The East Rim Trail, as well as total access to Hidden Canyon and access from the main canyon to Observation Point, remain closed due to a landslide and an unstable overhanging boulder since January, 2019.

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Eastern Half Of Zion-Mount Carmel Highway Reopening At Zion National Park

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While engineers are working on a plan to fix an undercut section of the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway at Zion National Park, the eastern segment of the road is reopening to the tunnel.
A section of the highway was washed out during a rainstorm last Saturday evening. Park officials announced Thursday that the portion of highway from the East Entrance to the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel will reopen at 9 a.m. Friday, but be limited in hours and size of vehicles. The Zion-Mount Carmel Highway remains closed from the tunnel to Canyon Junction. No thru traffic will be allowed until temporary repairs are in place.
The east side of the park will be open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Traffic will be turned around prior to the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel. Vehicles sized 7’10’’ in width or 11’4’’ in height, or larger, will not be allowed on the east side due to limited-radius turning areas.
Visitors may access the East Rim Trail and the Canyon Overlook Trail from the re-opened section of road. East side canyoneering routes -- Keyhole, Canyon Overlook, Pine Creek, Spry, Clear Creek, Fat Man’s Misery, and Lodge Canyons -- will remain closed until more reliable road access is ensured that can safely support canyoneering activities.
The park is currently working with Federal Highways on repairs for the section of road that was affected by the storm. A timeline will be made available once the engineering assessment and repair design have been finalized.
Alternate east and west driving routes are available via Highway 59 from Hurricane, Utah to Fredonia, Arizona, and Highway 14 from Cedar City, Utah, to Long Valley Junction and Highway 89. People coming from Interstate 15 to the park may access the park as usual by traveling east on State Route 9 through Springdale.
All park facilities including the visitor center, museum, campgrounds, and shuttle buses are open and operating as normal in Zion Canyon. The Kolob Canyons Scenic Drive, the Kolob Canyons Visitor Center and Kolob Terrace Road are also open.
Intense or extensive precipitation can result in geologic instability with the steep slopes and highly erosive soils found in the park. Visitors to the Zion Canyon should expect trail closures from landslides from past storms. The Kayenta Trail and Upper Emerald Pools Trail remain closed due to a landslide that has continued to settle since July 2018. The East Rim Trail, as well as total access to Hidden Canyon and access from Zion Canyon to Observation Point, remain closed due to a landslide with unstable overhanging boulders that occurred this past January.
So far this water year (October 1, 2018- March 6, 2019), Zion Canyon has received 13.45 inches of precipitation. During the same time period one year ago, the area received 2.9 inches of precipitation.

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Zion-Mount Carmel Highway Opens; No Oversized Vehicles

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he Zion-Mount Carmel Highway, the Route 9 connector road through Zion National Park, was closed the evening of March 2, 2019, after heavy rains undercut the road. One lane of the road will temporarily reopen at 5:00 p.m., Tuesday, March 12, 2019. However, due to safety concerns, buses and RV’s are still prohibited.

The road will be a single lane around the damaged area and will be managed by a traffic signal. Visitors should obey traffic signals and expect delays. Vehicles sized 7’10’’ in width or 11’4’’ in height, or larger, will not be allowed on the road between Canyon Junction and the park’s East Entrance. As road repairs progress, the entire road may close periodically.

For oversized vehicles (buses and RV’s), alternate east and west driving routes are available via Highway 59 from Hurricane, Utah to Fredonia, Arizona and Highway 14 from Cedar City, Utah to Long Valley Junction and Highway 89. People coming from Interstate 15 to the Park may access the Park as usual by traveling east on State Route 9 through Springdale.

All canyoneering routes on the east side will remain accessible for permitted activities. However, permits will not be issued when road closures are required.

“Visitors need to reduce their speed throughout the switchbacks, drive with care, and be alert for falling rocks,” said park spokesman Aly Baltrus. “We are going to try to keep the road open as much as we can, but it is a tight space and we will need to get construction vehicles and materials in and out too. There is also additional precipitation in the forecast.”

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Zion National Park closes Narrows after heavy rainfall

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Zion National Park officials have closed the Narrows after heavy rainfall, which is expected to continue into Friday.
“The Narrows are closed,” park officials tweeted Thursday morning. “The flow of the North Fork of the Virgin River exceeded 150 CFS (cubic feet per second). The Narrows and all routes that exit through the Narrows are closed. The bottom-up Narrows will reopen after the CFS is below 150.”
The park also tweeted that the Kolob Canyons Road is closed to RVs and buses due to road damage. The road is open to passenger vehicles.
The following trails are also closed: Observation Point (from Weeping Rock), Hidden Canyon, Upper Emerald Pools and Kayenta.
“These closures are indefinite,” said a tweet from the park Monday. “We will update as we know more.”
A slow moving storm will bring precipitation to mainly the southern half of Utah through Friday morning, according to the National Weather Service of Salt Lake City.
Gephardt Daily will have more on this developing story as information is made available.

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Utah national park highway to close for repairs in April

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A highway through a Utah national park will close for road repairs for most of April.
The Spectrum reports that Zion-Mount Carmel Highway will be closed for three weeks beginning April 9.
Officials say the road in the park 308 miles (about 496 kilometres) south of Salt Lake City will be fully closed from the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel to Canyon Junction in order for a federal highway contractor to completely remove a section to rebuild the road and a retaining wall.
Officials say the east side will be limited to vehicles smaller than 7 feet, 10 inches in width and 11 feet, 4 inches in height between the east entrance and the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel.

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East Entrance Road To Zion National Park To Reopen

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Quick repair work means the east entrance road to Zion National Park in southwestern Utah will reopen to traffic this Saturday.
Construction began on April 9 and required a section of the damaged road to be completely removed, a new culvert placed, the slope stabilized, and a retaining wall rebuilt. An additional section of the road required reestablishing road base and paving as well. Construction was expected to last approximately three weeks, but a Federal Highways contractor was able to complete the project four days ahead of schedule.
The road is to officially reopen at 8 a.m. Saturday. Park rangers will be present on either side of the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel to escort oversized vehicles from 8 a.m. until 7 p.m. Starting Sunday, the tunnel will be open to oversized vehicles from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m., a schedule that will remain until the fall.
Though the road connecting south and east to State Route 9 will again be open, visitors should continue to expect trail closures in Zion Canyon. The Kayenta Trail and Upper Emerald Pools Trail remain closed due to a landslide that has continued to settle since July 2018.
The East Rim Trail, as well as total access to Hidden Canyon and access from the Zion Canyon to Observation Point, remain closed due to a landslide and an unstable overhanging boulder. As those areas dry out from heavy precipitation over the winter, staff will be assessing each to determine next steps for stabilization and alternatives for their repair. Visitors are encouraged to check on trail conditions at park visitor centers. You also can check on the park's website.
“We greatly appreciate the efforts of our park, Federal Highways and contractor team to implement repairs as safely and quickly as possible and restore this vital connection for the visiting public and local communities,” said Superintendent Jeff Bradybaugh.

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German Tourist Dies After Collapsing at Zion National Park

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Officials say a German tourist hiking in Zion National Park has died after collapsing on a popular trail.
Park spokeswoman Eleanor Siebers told The Salt Lake Tribune that the 68-year-old man collapsed Tuesday afternoon on the West Rim Trail leading to Angels Landing.
Rescuers responded but were not able to resuscitate the man, who was part of a German tour group.
Authorities have not identified the man.
The 17-mile (27-kilometer) trail takes hikers to an iconic rock formation.
The death marks the second at the park this year.
A 35-year-old Salt Lake City man died in April. Park officials said his injuries were consistent with a fall.
A 13-year-old girl fell to her death in the park in February 2018.

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Winter weather hits Zion National Park as summer season looms

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Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks received a dusting of snow during Southern Utah's latest storm, less than a week before visitors are due to pour into the parks for Memorial Day weekend.
"We definitely have snow on the peaks," Eleanor Siebers, a Zion National Park spokesperson, said Monday. "Down in the canyons we have a lot of rain."
The National Weather Service reported that areas surrounding the Zion, such as Kolob Canyon, received around 4 inches of snow during the storm. Bryce Canyon reported that its visitor center received nearly 6 inches of snow.
Despite the shock of the winter weather, Siebers said all of the park's trails remained open as of Monday morning although conditions were "muddy."
However, Siebers advised visitors to avoid the chained section of the popular Angel's Landing hike.
The park advised visitors on social media that the storm had left some roadways in the park covered in snow.
"Roads at higher elevations are snow covered," the park said on Twitter. "Expect snow on the Kolob Terrace Road. The Lava Point road may be impassable."
While the sudden snowfall did not appear to affect park operations Monday, the storm could mean longer wait times for those hoping to visit the Narrows, a Zion trail closed due to snowmelt.
"It might delay (the opening)," she said. "Any extra precipitation could push it back."
The opening of the Narrows is dependent on the flow rate of the Virgin River. Additional snowfall, and thus additional snowmelt, increases the flow rate, making the trail unsafe for hikers.
Siebers said the recent snowfall could also mean a later reopening for Cedar Breaks.
"It may not reopen until late in June," she said.
Siebers also noted that the weather could make for a hectic Memorial Day weekend at the park. The holiday, the busiest time of year for the park, saw approximately 86,000 people visit Zion over the four day weekend in 2018.
"If the rain continues it might be an even busier weekend," Siebers said.
Siebers advised those hoping to visit Zion to avoid the holiday crowds and attempt a visit during the week.

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During Zion’s busiest weekend, park staff to experiment with new queue location for Angels Landing

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Kicking off the tourist season, Memorial Day weekend is Zion National Park’s busiest time of the year, and the park has new plans in place to help mitigate overcrowding, including new line management strategies at one of the park’s most popular trails: Angels Landing.
Last year, the park saw 86,000 visitors over the four-day weekend, and park officials are warning visitors to expect crowded conditions and long shuttle lines again this year, the park said in a press release.
Visitors with a flexible schedule are encouraged to visit the park on Friday or Monday as opposed to Saturday or Sunday and to arrive early in the morning or after 3 p.m. to avoid large crowds and find parking.
“Visitors should come prepared, both for crowded conditions and for the activities they are planning,” Zion Superintendent Jeff Bradybaugh said in the press release. “With a great many people visiting, please show additional patience with others and respectful trail etiquette. And remember that safety is your responsibility, so please avoid unsafe behaviors and risk-taking. Multiple emergencies are common during busy periods, stretching the availability of search and rescue, emergency medical and fire-fighting capabilities.”
The parking lots within the park are expected to fill by 9 a.m., and those arriving later are advised to park in Springdale and either walk or take the free town shuttle to the River Entrance walk-in gate.
Starting Saturday and lasting until Labor Day, the Zion Canyon Visitor Center and Wilderness Desk will extend their hours and stay open until 7 p.m. The Human History Museum will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and the Zion Nature Center, which now has hands-on children’s exhibits and programs, will be open from 1-6 p.m. Sunday through Friday, and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
This year, the park will be testing a new line management system for visitors hiking Angels Landing over the weekend. Last year, the line formed at Scout Lookout and the wait to climb Angels Landing was between one and two hours long.
Because the line formed at Scout Lookout, many visitors ran out of water during their wait, the soil and vegetation in the area was impacted by crowding and the evaporative toilets placed there were overflowing. There were also complaints that the trail was too crowded, which was a concern for hiker safety.
The park is expecting Angels Landing to be even more crowded this year since many other trails in Zion Canyon have been closed due to storm damage and high water.
In order to help relieve overcrowding on the trail, the park is moving the wait line for Angels Landing from Scout Lookouts to the West Rim trailhead located at the Grotto as well as managing a second line at Scouts Lookout. This will allow visitors to use the water bottle refilling tap and flush toilets located at the Grotto prior to starting their hike.
Initially, park rangers will send up around 180 visitors in groups of 60 every 15 minutes, then later in the day they will begin sending up groups of five people every three minutes, park spokesperson Aly Baltrus told St. George News.
“We will immediately begin evaluating those numbers and may increase or decrease the number of visitors or the time between groups, depending on observations from Angels Landing,” she said.
This line management will allow park staff to field test the results from the 2017 Angels Landing trail study, which looked at congestion at certain points along the trail, particularly the chain area, as well as visitor opinions and experience.
The study was performed by an outside organization for two weeks in June and July of 2017, and focused on people per viewshed, visitor counts at key areas on the trail and surveys from over 300 people who hiked the trail during this time, asking about their perception of overcrowding and for their thoughts on different strategies for managing visitors.
“While the trail (queue) is at the bottom over this Memorial Day weekend, and can be monitored, we are going to take the opportunity to ground truth and further refine some of the potential thresholds from the 2017 study,” Baltrus said.

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Zion Warns of Swift Water Conditions

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A little after noon on June 11, 2019, visitors relayed a report of 2 adults and a boy stranded on a rock in the Virgin River at the Temple of Sinawava. A Search and Rescue (SAR) team responded and a swift water rescue was performed.

The 12-year-old boy had been wading in the river near the edge and was swept away by the force of the current. The boy’s mother went in after him, as did a second woman. His mother was able to help the child onto a boulder and hold onto it for support. Bystanders were able to rescue the second woman and help the SAR team reach the mother. The SAR team then rescued the child from the rock using a kayak and ropes. There were no injuries in this incident.

“This incident highlights the need for personal attention to safety around stream courses throughout the region under high snowmelt conditions,” said Superintendent Jeff Bradybaugh. Zion National Park closed the Virgin River, including the Narrows on April 1, due to rising and fast-flowing waters from snowmelt. Snowmelt closures usually only last a month or so. However, this year’s increased precipitation has resulted in a flow rate that is still too high. Rangers caution that the water may look inviting, but at 210 cubic feet per second (cfs), it is powerful enough to sweep a visitor off their feet and into the strong current. Bradybaugh added “access to the river and the Narrows will remain closed until the river level comes down to at least 150 cfs for a full day. We think it will be 1-2 more weeks.”

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Condor Chick Confirmed At Zion National Park In Utah

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A sweeping red-rock cliff at Utah's Zion National Park is now the home of a new California condor chick as the species makes a comeback in the wild three decades after they were on the brink of extinction, biologists have confirmed.
The chick is believed to have hatched in early May on the cliffs just north of Angels Landing, park rangers said. If it survives to flying age in November, it will be the first chick to fledge at the park.
"We're hoping it does fledge, it takes off out of the nest and successfully flies off," said Eugenne Moisa with Zion National Park on Wednesday.
Birds raised in captivity were first released at Vermilion Cliffs near the Arizona-Utah line in 1996, and now more than 88 flying in the two states.
The new chick's parents are the only identified breeding pair in Zion, and are estimated to have been together two years. The female was born in 2006 at the San Diego Zoo and the male hatched in 2009 in Boise, Idaho, before being released into the wild.
They were bred as part of a program that started after the number of California condors were left in the world dwindled to 22. The remaining wild condors were captured and held in captivity to keep them safe and launch the breeding program involving government agencies, private organizations, citizens and biologists.
The Zion chick marks the 1,000 hatched as part of the program, and the surviving condor population now numbers more than 500. More than half of those birds are living in the wild along a range that includes Arizona, Utah, northern Mexico, and California.
Eggs are typically laid on the floor of caves or large crevices, and the parents share incubation duties. Baby condors typically make their first flight after six months but might stay in the nesting area for up to a year as their parents feed it and teach it how to savage for meat.
That means the condors can only reproduce every two years at most, and at Zion three chicks have been born but died before they were old enough to fly.

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Angels Landing trail to close for 2 days; NPS ‘free fare’ day slated

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Zion National Park officials have announced the park’s trail crew will be closing Angels Landing Trail this coming Tuesday and Wednesday in order to replace multiple posts supporting the chain sections on the trial.
The trail is scheduled to close at 6 a.m. Tuesday and reopen by 6 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 22, once the posts have fully cured, park officials announced in a recent email.
Access to Scout Lookout and the West Rim Trail will remain open for hikers during the two-day trail project. For up-to-date trail information, please click here, stop by the visitor center, or follow the park on Twitter.
Additionally, on Sunday, Aug. 25, entrance fees to the Zion National Park and other national parks and monuments will be waived in celebration of the National Park Service’s 103rd birthday. Area parks offering free admission on Aug. 25 include Bryce Canyon National Park, Grand Canyon National Park and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, along with the other parks in the NPS system that normally charge an admission fee. The Aug. 25 anniversary date is one of five free fare days typically offered by the NPS each year.
Note that the fee waiver includes entrance fees only. Other fees such as reservation, camping, tours, concessions and fees collected by third parties are not included.
Also on Sunday, Aug. 25, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area officials are planning to conduct a graffiti removal service project from 8-11 a.m. at Horseshoe Bend, and are asking for volunteers to join in the effort.
Those interested should meet at the trailhead at 8 a.m., and come prepared by bringing water and sunscreen and wearing a hat and close-toed shoes. Volunteers should prepare for high temperatures. The park will provide gloves and tools. Volunteers will still have to pay a parking fee to the city of Page, Arizona.

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Zion trail closures caused by same geology that made the canyon, not by human impact

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Trail closures at Zion National Park, one of the most popular parks in the country, can leave visitors disappointed. But the very forces that created the park are also what is driving the closures, officials say.
More than 318 million people flocked to national parks across the U.S. in 2018, the highest number of park visitors in recorded history. More than 4.3 million of those visitors went to Zion, making it the fourth most popular park in the United States.
Zion is currently experiencing four trail closures, the Upper Emerald Pools Trail, Hidden Canyon, Observation Point and part of the Kayenta trail. Oftentimes, the damages that cause these trail closures are assumed to be caused by human impacts.
However, the closures may have little to do with the rise in visitor numbers and may not be human-caused at all, according to a National Park Service statement.
In fact, it is the same dynamic geology that attracts so many visitors to the park that is the driving force behind the closures, they said. And even though Zion’s geology appears to be “stable and unchanging,” the exact opposite is true.
The water erosion that sculpted the park is still constantly at play in a dynamic, ever-changing cycle. This cycle often causes rocks to break off from the sides of the canyon, causing a rockfall.
Loose, falling rock can be very destructive, particularly to the trails running throughout that park, requiring extensive maintenance, rehabilitation and repair. In some cases, a new trail is designed and constructed around the rockfall when the damage to the existing trail is so severe that it destroys a particular section of it.
Zion officials recommend planning ahead by visiting the current conditions page on their website to know which trails are closed before visiting the park.

Zion National Park — 240 million years in the making
Zion makes up part of the Colorado Plateau, where rock layers have been uplifted, tilted and eroded, ultimately forming what is known as the Grand Staircase. The staircase is a series of colorful cliffs stretching between Bryce Canyon National Park and the Grand Canyon.
About 240 million years ago, Zion was a relatively flat basin near sea level. But as the land rose and fell, sand blew in and deposited about 10,000 feet of material, according to NPS.
From there, mineral-laden waters slowly filtered through the compacted sediments, acting as cementing agents. With pressure from overlying layers over the course of time, the material was transformed into stone. This transformation gave the streams greater cutting force as they made their way to the ocean, eroding and cutting into the rock layers and forming the park’s deep and narrow canyons. The geological makeup of the park leaves it vulnerable to flooding, falling rocks and unstable soil and erosion.

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Substantial Rockfall near Weeping Rock Shuttle Stop

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The park was notified of a large rockfall near Weeping Rock Shuttle Stop at 5:50 p.m. A substantial piece of rock had broken off Cable Mountain, approximately 3,000 feet above Weeping Rock. The rockfall hit the closed East Rim Trail, knocking down trees and showering visitors at Weeping Rock with smaller rocks, branches, and a plume of dust and sand. Shuttles were stopped for approximately 90 minutes as the dust settled.

Three visitors were injured, one transported to the hospital by park ambulance. Several people were temporarily stranded at the end of Weeping Rock Trail for a short time, but they were able to self-rescue.

The Weeping Rock Trail and Weeping Rock Shuttle Stop (Stop #7) are closed until further notice. The Echo Canyon and Observation Point Canyon canyoneering routes are also closed, as is the East Rim Trail from Observation Point to Weeping Rock.

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Kayenta Trail reopens in Zion National Park after over year-long closure

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The Kayenta Trail in Zion National Park has been reopened after a mudslide temporarily closed in last year.
Kayenta was one of several trails closed after rainfall from a large thunderstorm caused flooding, mudslides and rockfalls throughout the entire park on July 11, 2018.
he Kayenta Trail in Zion National Park has been reopened after a mudslide temporarily closed in last year.
Kayenta was one of several trails closed after rainfall from a large thunderstorm caused flooding, mudslides and rockfalls throughout the entire park on July 11, 2018.
Moisa spoke about the difficulty of the Kayenta Trail.
“The Kayenta Trail is a moderate, 2-mile round trip trail,” Moisa said. “Typically, if the trail were to be completely open, you’d be able to also connect to it from Lower Emerald Pool, which is very popular because it comes from Zion lodge.”
The Kayenta Trail is popular for its beauty and the great vantage point you get on the hike.
“It lifts you about 150 feet or so off the ground, off the river bed, so you’re above the tree line looking down at the river, out of the canyon. It’s a pretty view with a little bit of work, but not too bad for most people,” Moisa said.
While the Kayenta trail is reopening, Upper Emerald Pool, Weeping Rock, Hidden Canyon and East Rim/Observation Point Trails from shuttle stop 7 will all remain closed.
“If people want more information, we recommend you look on our website, or stop by the visitors center, and just be careful,” said Moisa. “Enjoy the park.”

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