Infos zum Zion NP

Two canyoneers rescued and one fatality at the exit of Heaps Canyon in Zion National Park

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This weekend, the Zion National Park Technical Search and Rescue Team responded to an emergency call at the exit of Heaps Canyon. Rescuers found two canyoneers stranded on a rock perch about 280 feet above Upper Emerald Pools. They also found one canyoneer suspended from a rope about 260 feet above the pool (20 feet below the perch). The canyoneer who was suspended, 31-year-old Andrew Arvig of Chesapeake, Virginia was lowered to the ground and later pronounced deceased by a doctor. The Zion Technical Search and Rescue Team assisted the other two canyoneers with rappelling safely to the ground.

The group started their trip early on the morning of Saturday, Nov. 27 and had been following their permitted itinerary through Heaps Canyon. They had difficulty negotiating the last few rappels in the canyon which delayed their exit.

Mr. Arvig, the first to exit Heaps Canyon, rappelled past a small rock ledge where he needed to land and re-anchor his rope in order to then rappel the remaining distance to the ground. The other members of the group used their “pull line” to rappel to the perch. Mr. Arvig was unable to ascend the 20 feet back to the perch. Rangers began rescue operations early Sunday morning when the canyoneers on the perch contacted Washington County Dispatch by cell phone after several failed attempts to connect because of poor reception.

The Washington County Sheriff’s Department and the National Park Service are still investigating the cause of Mr. Arvig’s death.

“All of us at Zion National Park extend our sympathy to the Arvig family for their tragic loss,” said Superintendent Jeff Bradybaugh.

The park’s response involved more than 30 rescuers including a technical rescue team, a helicopter dispatched from Grand Canyon National Park and a Life Flight helicopter and crew from St. George, Utah.

The Upper and Middle Emerald Pools Trails, which had been closed due to rescue operations, are now open.

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War ja schon angekündigt - ab 1.4.22 braucht man für den Angels Landing Trail ein Permit:

You'll soon need a permit to summit Angels Landing. Here's how to get one

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Hikers wishing to see the surreal vista of Zion Canyon from atop Angels Landing will soon need a permit to do so.
Zion National Park officials announced Friday they will move forward with a plan to use a permit lottery system to allow people to complete the full Angels Landing hike. Permits will be required beginning April 1, 2022.
"Angels Landing is one of the most iconic destinations in Zion National Park and issuing permits will make going there fair for everyone," Zion National Park Superintendent Jeff Bradybaugh said in a statement. "The system we've put in place will reduce crowding on the trail, address safety concerns and make it easy for visitors to plan ahead."
People will be allowed to enter the lottery for a permit online beginning Jan. 3, 2022. It'll cost $6 to enter the lottery and $3 per person among lottery winners of a group. The initial lottery will close on Jan. 20, 2022, for permits between April 1 and May 31, 2022.
Another lottery window will begin April 1, 2022, for permits between June 1 and Aug. 31, 2022. On July 1, the window will open for permits between Sept. 1 and Oct. 31, 2022. Permits for Dec. 1, 2022, through Feb. 28, 2023, will first go on sale on Oct. 1, 2022.
The $6 application fee is nonrefundable, according to park officials. Lottery winners can receive a refund for the $3 per person if they cancel two days before their permit date.
Park officials say people will need to print or download their permits before they get to the Angels Landing trailhead. A ranger may ask for a permit at the Grotto, Scout Lookout or along the trail. They may turn a hiker around if they do not have their permit with them.
The new permit program is in response to safety concerns and congestions along the hike that have risen in recent years. Last month, preliminary visitation data shows Zion National Park, at over 4.5 million, has already broken its visitation record this year.
The figure, through October, is about a 60% increase from visitation numbers reported in 2011. With 2021 trends at Angels Landing mirroring 2019 trends, when the park began counting people going up Angels Landing, officials said they knew it meant they needed to do something to address overcrowding on the trail.
Rangers started testing out the system during the summer holiday season in an effort to manage the number of hikers especially along the chain section of the hike, which posed safety concerns. Park officials then proposed the concept as a mainstay in August.
The plan received close to 1,000 responses during the public comment period and enough support that they moved forward with the idea. A spokesperson for the park said that since the permit lottery is a pilot program, the National Park Service will monitor it and make adjustments “as needed.” Officials also plan to seek feedback on the plan after it is implemented to see what does and doesn’t work.

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Graffiti grips Zion National Park

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Zion National Park Ranger Colton Johnson said that the park is seeing an increase in various types of vandalism, as rangers carefully scraped away graffiti using sandpaper.
“A very small number of visitors do things that diminish Zion National Park’s natural beauty. We want you to understand the ways they hurt the park so that you recognize and can help stop when it’s happening,” Johnson said. “We also want you to understand how the National Park Service rehabilitates damaged areas so that you can enjoy them again.”
Johnson said rangers and volunteers are spending many hours trying to restore places marred by graffiti, rock carvings and scratches, stickers, permanent markers, and spray paint. It can often to up to 35 hours to clean up an area.
“Vandalism like this not only greatly impacts the visitor experience in the park, but it is also extremely difficult to remove,” Johnson said. “This piece covered 150 square feet and took 35 hours of work. It took seven rangers and volunteers that had to be taken from their regularly scheduled duties in order to help with the repair.”
Graffiti ruins Zion National Park’s character and damages its natural and cultural resources. Johnson said visitors need to leave plants, rocks, artifacts and other objects alone so that people may enjoy them in the future. Over five million people visited Zion last year.
The Zion Forever Project, the park’s non-profit partner, also supports the dedicated team of rangers, trail crew, and staff, said Mark Preiss, the vice president of the project.
“They work tirelessly to conserve this resource. We strive, through our outreach, to spread the important message of stewardship in these cherished public lands. It’s going to take all of us working together, and that is at the core of our mission,” Preiss said.
Zion National Park rangers suggest instead of vandalism, visitors can take a photo, write a letter or postcard, draw a picture, and share their experience on social media.

Visitors: Leave No Trace Behind by following these tips
Travel and camp on durable surfaces: Protect vegetation and fragile cryptobiotic soils by staying on established trails.
Dispose of waste properly: Carry out all trash, including food wrappers, fruit peels, and nut shells. Dispose of waste in a proper trash can or dumpster.
Leave what you find: Leave the park in a natural state for others to enjoy. Leave rocks, plants, and other natural objects as you find them.
Minimize campfire impacts: When permitted, fires are only allowed in established fire rings in the campgrounds.
Respect wildlife: Zion is home to many wild animals. Help keep them wild and healthy by viewing them from a safe distance.
Be considerate of other visitors: Let the natural sounds of Zion prevail. Use headphones when listening to music and avoid using loud voices.

Johnson said that vandals who harm the park might be guilty of a Class B misdemeanor, which is punishable by six months in prison, a $5,000 fine, or both.
“We need your help to make sure visitors can enjoy Zion today and forever,” Johnson said. “Do your part in protecting national parks for future generations by leaving no trace. Take only pictures and leave only footprints.”

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Zion National Park is improving accessibility at Kolob Canyons Visitor Center

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The National Park Service (NPS) is working to expand and improve the restrooms at Kolob Canyons Visitor Center on the northwest side of Zion National Park. The new facilities will double capacity, improve accessibility, and reduce water use. Site preparation is underway now, and the NPS anticipates finishing the project in fall 2022.
Staff at the visitor center will continue to provide services from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week. Visitors can use portable toilets at any time while the expanded restrooms are under construction.
Construction will only happen in the area next to the visitor center. The NPS does not anticipate the project will affect the Kolob Canyons Road. NPS biologists will work with the project contractor to protect native species and restore the landscape when work is complete.
This project complements previously completed projects to increase restroom capacity and improve accessibility in park campgrounds, at trailheads in Zion Canyon, on the east side of the park, and along the Kolob Terrace and Kolob Canyons Roads. It also builds on previously completed long-term planning and construction projects at Kolob Canyons.
Since 2010, the National Park Service has done work at the Kolob Canyons Visitor Center to proactively:
Increase water main capacity.
Expand the septic system.
Improve accessibility by reducing the steepness of the parking lot in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration.
Update signs on I-15 in collaboration with the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT).
The National Park Service is proactively working to identify other opportunities to improve visitor services in the park. Zion recorded about 2.8 million visits in 2011 and more than 5 million in 2021. As the number of people who visit Zion continues to rise, the NPS is preparing a plan designed to sustain high quality visitor experiences and sustainability manage park resources. We plan to share an update on the plan and ask for your feedback about it later in 2022.

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Zion National Park search and rescue responds to flash flood at the Narrows
National Park Service staff transport one patient to hospital and continue search efforts

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Zion National Park received a report around 2:15 p.m. on Friday, August 19 of multiple hikers being swept off their feet by a flash flood in the Narrows near the Temple of Sinawava. Later in the evening, the National Park Service received a report of a hiker, Jetal Agnihotri of Tucson, Arizona, who was overdue from a trip in the Narrows. In response, park rangers continued monitoring the river during the night and mobilized additional searchers early on August 20. More than 20 Zion Search and Rescue Team members are working in and near the Virgin River searching for this missing person.

“Park rangers and other members of the Zion Search and Rescue Team responded quickly to this event, and we are continuing our efforts,” Jeff Bradybaugh, Zion National Park superintendent said. “I want to express the park’s appreciation for the ongoing support we’ve received from the National Weather Service, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, and Hurricane Valley Fire District as we continue search and rescue operations.”

Need to know
Search and rescue operations may affect visits to Zion. As of August 20:
Riverside Walk and the Narrows are closed.
Search and rescue operations are not currently affecting access to Angels Landing or most other destinations in Zion Canyon.
Emerald Pools and the Kayenta Trail were already closed following rain on August 18 and remain so.
Virgin River Narrows camping permits and top-down river hiking permits are canceled.
Park shuttle buses in Zion Canyon are operating at stops between the Zion Canyon Visitor Center and the Grotto (Shuttle Stop #6) only. In the town of Springdale, shuttles are operating on their normal route and stops.

Search and rescue response
After receiving the initial report, the National Park Service immediately sent rangers to assess the situation and began mobilizing for a large-scale response. Near the Temple of Sinawava, park rangers found an injured hiker who had been swept downstream several hundred yards. A National Park Service ambulance transported the hiker to a hospital.

Other rangers hiked up Riverside Walk and found several hikers who were isolated by high water on high ground. Rangers directed them to remain in place until water receded and then assisted them to safety.

Zion National Park maintenance staff who had been doing other work on Zion Canyon Scenic Drive immediately moved to positions along the Virgin River to monitor conditions there. More than 20 park rangers and members of the Zion Search and Rescue Team deployed with flotation devices and ropes along the Virgin River prepared to reach visitors who might be in the water.

Throughout the afternoon and evening of August 19, Zion National Park rangers interviewed groups of visitors exiting the Narrows and Riverside Walk to ensure they were not missing a member of their party. At that time, no hikers were reported missing. It wasn’t until later in the evening that friends reported Ms. Agnihotri missing.

Zion rangers are monitoring the weather and continuing the park’s search and rescue efforts.

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I hiked Angels Landing, one of Zion National Park's most dangerous trails. Here are 13 things that surprised me about the adventure.

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My husband and I hiked Angels Landing, a famous trail in Zion National Park, for the first time in June.

Angels Landing, one of Zion National Park's most iconic hikes, is breathtaking both in its beauty and in its physical demands.
During a June trip through the American Southwest, my husband and I tackled this Instagram-famous trek.
The 5.4-mile hike, which peaks at 1,488 feet, can be daunting for those who have a fear of heights and challenging to complete for those who don't plan ahead.
Here are the things that surprised me the most about Angels Landing.

Hikers have to enter a lottery to climb Angels Landing, and they're not guaranteed to get a permit.
As national parks have grown increasingly crowded, some have implemented timed-entry reservations, or in Zion's case, lotteries to limit traffic on certain trails, including Angels Landing.
Not everyone who enters the lottery for an Angels Landing permit gets one, especially during the busy season, which stretches from April to October.
Plus, the application process takes some forethought (and a non-refundable $6 application fee on top of the park-entrance fee).
Our trip was in early June, but the lottery for permits between June 1 to August 31 was only open from April 1 through April 20.
When we applied, the system asked us to rank seven days and windows of time, so I recommend providing as many options as possible.
If you don't want to miss out on Angels Landing during your trip to Zion, check the lottery dates and make sure you enter on time.

Visitors can also try to score a last-minute permit the day before they want to hit the trail.
If you weren't lucky enough to get an Angels Landing permit in the seasonal lottery (or you're taking a last-minute trip to Zion), you can still enter the park's day-before lottery.
But watch the clock — it closes at 3 p.m. each day.
If you plan on exploring the park the day before you hope to hike Angels Landing and are worried you won't have great cell service (spoiler alert: you probably won't), enter the day-before lottery prior to lacing up your hiking boots in the morning.
At 4 p.m., the National Park Service sends an email letting applicants know if they made the cut. Even if you do everything right, you still might not get a permit.

Without a permit, people can hike Angels Landing up to Scout Lookout.
Even if you don't win the lottery, you can still hike a portion of Angels Landing up to Scout Lookout. The trail is 3.6 miles round-trip and offers amazing views of the canyon.
The path up to Scout Lookout even includes some of the most iconic portions of the Angels Landing trail — like the 21 short, steep switchbacks known as Walter's Wiggles.
However, it excludes the thrilling chain scramble at the top.

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Road closures planned as Zion National Park pursues improvements

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Zion National Park is scheduled to close portions of State Route 9 on Tuesday for a road improvement project that park officials say should mean delays for some visitors.
Most of the work is planned at night, so daytime visitors largely won't be affected, and the work consists of shorter-term work like repainting center lines and fog lines. But it should still take several days, with work expected to last through next week.
At times, the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway will close, meaning anyone hoping to take a through-route across the park from Interstate 15 to Highway 89 will instead need to go around on an alternative road like state Highways 20 and 14 to the north in Utah or state Highways 59 in Utah and 389 in Arizona to the south.
From 9 p.m. Tuesday to 6 a.m. Wednesday, the road from Canyon Junction to the East Entrance will be closed, meaning park visitors will only be able to go in and out of the Southern Entrance from State Route 9.
Then, from 9 p.m. Wednesday to 6 a.m. Thursday and from 9 p.m. Thursday to 6 p.m. Friday, the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway will be closed.
Starting the following week, on Monday, Sept. 12, road crews will be striping the Kolob Terrace and Kolob Canyons roads.
"National Park Service maintenance staff planned this work so that it will affect as few people as possible," park officials said as they announced the roadwork. "Managing the construction at night helps us improve the road and ensure visitors will get to enjoy their time in the park."

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Zion National Park seeing a manic Monday with south entrance closed to vehicles

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Just because it is Monday doesn’t mean the closures for overcrowding at Zion National Park have ceased for the workweek.
At 10:30 a.m. Monday, park officials announced that the park’s parking lots were full and the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway from the park’s south entrance has been closed because of congestion. A camera at the south entrance showed a line of vehicles trying to get in the south entrance to no avail, while others made the turnaround to head back out.
“At this point, if visitors are coming up they may experience intermittent closures and long lines,” said Zion National Park spokesperson Jonathan Shafer.
That doesn’t mean the park is closed to visitors. In fact, even though the south entrance is closed to vehicles, it is not closed to bikes, pedestrians or the free shuttle busses coming from Springdale.
“We encourage folks to park in Springdale and take the pedestrian and bicycle entrance, or use the free Springdale shuttle,” Shafer said.
The park experienced the same closures over the weekend. Shafer said he didn’t have an exact reason why there was still overcrowding on Monday.
In past years, competitors and visitors for the St. George Marathon have been known to use the occasion for a brief stay in the park, and the marathon is five days away.

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Woman found dead, husband rescued in Zion National Park

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A woman was found dead Wednesday, and her husband — who was rescued — reported that the couple suffered hypothermia while on a hiking trip in Zion National Park in Utah, officials said.
The two were discovered Wednesday morning by visitors in the Narrows — a gorge considered to be the narrowest section of Zion Canyon, the National Park Service said in a news release Thursday.
The 31-year-old woman died on scene, the park service said, while her 33-year-old husband was taken to the Zion Emergency Operations Center for treatment. No names were provided.
The couple had set out Tuesday on a permitted 16-mile hike, but overnight, they became "dangerously cold and experienced symptoms consistent with hypothermia," the park service said.
The husband told park rangers that, in the early morning hours Wednesday, the couple came to a stop about one-and-a-half miles from the north end of Riverside Walk, a paved trail which runs from the Temple of Sinawava to the Narrows. The husband went on to get help, while his wife stayed behind, the park service said.
The visitors who came upon the man helped get him down the trail, while others went to his wife and administered CPR until search and rescue personnel arrived on scene.
Along with the park service, the Washington County Sheriff's Office and the Utah Office of the Medical Examiner are investigating the woman's death.
The Narrows is one of the most popular areas in Zion, according to the park service. However, hiking it requires people to walk in the Virgin River, which in some places is only 20 to 30 feet wide. Depending on the time of year, the park service explains on its website, the Virgin River can "range from ankle deep to full swims."
"Flash flooding and hypothermia are constant dangers," the park service writes.
Hikers are not allowed to undertake the 16-mile Virgin River hike without a wilderness permit.

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Zion National Park announces 2023 Angels Landing Pilot Permit Program Seasonal Lottery dates

National Park Service continues to provide accessible, flexible, and fair opportunities for hikers to visit Angels Landing

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Zion National Park is providing four seasonal lotteries for hikers who want to visit Angels Landing in 2023. These lotteries build on the park’s successful launch of the Angels Landing Pilot Permit Program in 2022.
“Issuing permits is something we did after substantial public input, and it has been effective,” Jeff Bradybaugh, Zion National Park Superintendent said. “In 2023, park rangers will continue recording data and enhancing the pilot program to maximize the number of people making the hike while minimizing crowding and congestion on this half-mile, perennially popular trail.”

Since the pilot program started on April 1, 2022, Zion issued nearly 200,000 permits to hikers. Hikers report the program is succeeding at reducing crowding and congestion on the last half mile of trail from Scout Lookout to Angels Landing. Learn more about the program on the park’s website.

Fast facts about the Angels Landing Pilot Permit Program in 2022
Zion issued nearly 200,000 permits to hikers in 2022.
The Angels Landing Pilot Permit Program accommodated about 80% of the use NPS recorded in studies conducted in 2019 and 2021.
Zion rangers collected data that shows the Angels Landing Pilot Permit Program helped spread hikers’ start times throughout the day.
Rangers observed, and hikers reported, less crowding and congestion on the trail than in past years.

2023 Angels Landing Seasonal Lotteries
Find links to apply for a permit and learn about the trail at go.nps.gov/AngelsLanding
Hike Dates Lottery Opens 8 a.m. MT Lottery Closes 11:59 p.m. MT Permits Issued
March 1 to May 31 January 1 January 20 January 25
June 1 to August 31 April 1 April 20 April 25
September 1 to November 30 July 1 July 20 July 25
December 1 to February 29, 2024 October 1 October 20 October 25

About the Angels Landing Pilot Permit Program
This is a pilot program, and the National Park Service (NPS) is monitoring and adjusting it. The pilot permit program reflects comments from nearly 1,000 members of the public, park neighbors and other stakeholders. It also reflects lessons the NPS learned by metering the number of hikers on the trail to Angel Landing in 2019 and 2021 and from distributing tickets to use the park shuttle system in response to COVID-19 in 2020.

Angels Landing is one of many places visitors enjoy hiking in Zion National Park. The park recorded about 2.8 million total visits in 2011 and more than 5 million in 2021. As the number of people who visit Zion continues to rise, the NPS is preparing a plan designed to provide high-quality visitor experiences and sustainably manage park resources. The Angels Landing Pilot Permit Program will inform that planning process.

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Die Lotteriedaten sind in Tabellenform besser im Link zu sehen.

Hikers Stranded In Snowy Zion National Park Backcountry Rescued By Helicopter

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Two hikers stranded in the snowy backcountry of Zion National Park in Utah were rescued by a helicopter crew from the Utah Department of Public Safety. The two, who were not identified, were suffering from hypothermia but had no other injuries, according to the park.

On Saturday, January 21, the park staff received a report of the two overdue hikers. The pair had attempted to hike the Subway route from the top-down on Friday, but they did not return as planned. In response, Zion sent rangers up the Kolob Terrace Road to stage a rescue team and to prepare a landing zone for a helicopter from the Utah Department of Public Safety.

The helicopter crew used Forward Looking Infrared to locate the hikers. They then lowered a rescue specialist, who assisted the hikers into the hovering helicopter using a hoist.

The Utah Department of Public Safety crew transported the hikers to a waiting National Park Service medical team for care. One hiker was dangerously hypothermic and transported to a hospital, according to a park release. That hiker is now reported in stable condition.

According to Zion staff, the rescue could not have happened as quickly as it did without the support of Utah Department of Public Safety and their St. George-based helicopter.

“We dedicate a lot of time and training to be prepared for any situation that we may face. Although we cannot train for every scenario, the crew was well prepared for this mission, and did an outstanding job evaluating the situation and coming up with a way to overcome the difficulties of this particular rescue. We appreciate working with the Rangers at Zion and their professionalism. They always do an excellent job thinking of contingency plans and providing great support to the crew during the missions,” said Chief Pilot Luke Bowman.

“We appreciate our partnership with the Utah Department of Public Safety. Their execution of this rescue was outstanding,” Zion Chief Ranger Daniel Fagergren said. “Helicopters are not always available, and, even when they are, conditions don’t always allow them to fly. Winter conditions create an extremely challenging rescue environment. Currently, many of our canyons drop to sub-zero temperatures at night, streams and pools are iced over and deep snow covers the trails at higher elevations. When you visit, you need to understand and be prepared for the conditions you might face here. These kinds of operations are inherently dangerous for our staff and our partners, and they don’t all end like this one.”

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Why Zion's popular Narrows hike could be closed for months

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The Narrows and all routes that exit through it at Zion National Park are currently closed to hiking and canyoneering as a result of high water volumes in the Virgin River.

That's because the river, boosted by both heavy rains and snowpack runoff, jumped to as much as 2,140 cubic feet per second Wednesday. It dropped to 408 cubic feet per second by 9 a.m. Thursday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. However, that is still more than 2½ times the limit when park officials close the popular hike due to the strong currents.

The park routinely closes the trail to hiking and canyoneering in the spring when snowmelt runoff exceeds 150 cubic feet per second. According to the park's website, walking can be "challenging and crossings of mid-thigh deep are frequent, with pools that can be chest deep" once the river exceeds even 70 cubic feet per second.

Riverside Walk, a paved trail that begins at the Temple of Sinawava, remains open.

But a park spokesperson told KSL Wednesday that the Narrows hiking closure could potentially last months because of how much snowpack is yet to melt into the river. The lengthy closure will ultimately depend on when the snowmelt begins in earnest, though. So if it does reopen anytime soon, it would likely be temporary.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service reports the Southwestern Utah snow basin, which helps replenish the river, is now up to 23.6 inches of snow water equivalent (the amount of water in the snow). It's more than double the 30-year normal of 11.7 inches, which means there is plenty of water to end up in the river.

The park has had to close the Narrows to hiking and canyoneering as a result of strong snow melt levels about half the years in the past decade. Some of these closures were short. It only lasted 10 days in 2012, and a couple of days the following year, though both of those years posted below-normal snowpacks.

A lengthy closure wouldn't be unprecedented.

In 2019, when the snowpack reached 18.7 inches, park rangers closed hiking access to the Narrows from April 6 to June 22. They also closed access from March 11 to May 21 in 2017, when the snowpack reached 15.1 inches.

All closures will end once the river flow drops to 150 cubic feet per second for 24 hours.

Park officials advise that anyone who plans to hike the Narrows this spring, check the park's website or social media pages for updates on whether the hike is open ahead of the trip.

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Popular trail bridge at Zion National Park closes

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National Park Service officials have closed a trail bridge near Zion Lodge at Zion National Park after learning the bridge is shifting on its foundation.

The problem was found during what the park called a routine inspection.

The bridge is near Shuttle Stop number 5.

Visitors that planned to access the Emerald Pools complex of trails can still hike those trails, but they will need to access them from a different shuttle stop than normal.

Additionally, the Narrows hike in Zion National Park is closed because of the danger of high water. And those wanting to hike Angel’s Landing need a permit to do so. Guests can apply for this permit one day ahead of their planned hike.

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Zion National Park Road Depression Collapses Overnight

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A depression on Zion National Park’s Kolob Canyons Road turned into an absolutely monster pothole Monday night leaving a 10 feet deep, 15 feet wide and 70 feet long gap in the asphalt. The landslide was triggered by snow and rain in the Kolob Canyons District. Runoff from the precipitation began flowing under this section of the road until it eventually collapsed.

No timeline has been set for its repair, but Zion National Park maintenance professionals, geologists, and members of the Federal Highway Administration have already begun assessing the problem and working together to come up with a plan to repair it. Here’s what the park has to say.

With record breaking precipitation all winter, Zion National Park experienced quite a few geologic events from small rocks just slipping down onto a roadway to the giant gaping hole that formed on the Kolob Canyons Road March 15th, 2023. What started as a small depression rangers noticed grew into a landslide that is now 10 ft deep, 15 ft wide, and 70 ft long within one night! What happened? How could so much of the road be damaged so quickly? Like with so much of Zion, the answer is water. As snow and rain fell in the Kolob Canyons District, water began to move under this section of the road, undercutting it until it collapsed. Our maintenance professionals, geologists, and members of the Federal Highway Administration have been busily assessing this section of the road and working together to come up with a plan to repair it. Despite this, most of the Kolob Canyons District is still accessible. The road is currently open to the South Fork picnic area, 3 miles up the Kolob Canyons Road. Visitors may still hike or bike the road beyond the closure but are advised it is at their own risk because of the road damage.

Just another reminder, that the forces the made Zion are still working to shape and reshape its canyons even today.

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Next summer, a bus straight outta St. George hopes to help Zion out with its traffic

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As Zion National Park’s crowds peak in the summer, cars often back up on State Highway 9 from the west entrance into the neighboring town of Springdale.

For the roughly 550 people who live in Springdale, those traffic jams don’t mean a delayed vacation. State Highway 9 is the only main road through town, so Mayor Barbara Bruno said when it’s blocked, some residents can’t get home.

“Springdale is impacted by what happens inside Zion National Park probably more than any other locality,” Mayor Barbara Bruno said, “It's a pretty big deal.”

The number of people coming to Zion has just about doubled in the past two decades. Despite sweltering heat this July, more than 560,000 people visited the park that month, making it the fifth-busiest July the park has ever seen.

Springdale residents have a front row seat to both the good and bad sides of that growth.

Tourism brings an influx of money to town. But Bruno said many of Springdale’s businesses struggle to find workers. There’s just not enough housing, and many employees commute from Washington County’s larger cities, such as Hurricane and St. George. “We have over a thousand people that come from downriver, so to speak, to work here every day. And they're driving personal cars,” Bruno said.

That’s where a new public transit plan comes in. Starting next year, a bus route is scheduled to connect Springdale with St. George in hopes of making life easier for both tourists and residents.

The bus route’s details are still being finalized, but St. George Public Works Director Cameron Cutler said it should be up and running by late summer 2024.

The route will travel more than 40 miles from the Dixie Convention Center parking lot in St. George to Springdale, with probable stops in the cities of Washington, Hurricane, La Verkin and Virgin along the way. The plan is to take riders from St. George to Springdale in just a little more time than it takes to drive there.

“If it took two hours, people might not use it because it's taking too long,” Cutler said. “So we're hoping that it's just going to be over an hour.”

The one-way fare would likely cost around $8 per person. That number comes from a 2020 analysis recommendation after it compared the Zion route to similar bus systems, such as those at Yosemite National Park in California and Acadia National Park in Maine.

The service would involve five diesel buses — four running at a given time and one backup — and will be overseen by the city of St. George, which already operates its local SunTran bus line. Each bus would have around 30 seats for passengers.

Based on an analysis from 2020, it’s estimated that between 59,000 and 112,000 people would ride the bus each year.

The schedule isn’t set in stone, but Cutler said one potential scenario could have the buses leaving St. George roughly every two hours from 6 a.m. through the evening. During peak season, there may be some express routes. But the frequency will ultimately depend on what ridership looks like once the wheels start rolling.

“We're going to try it out, see how it works with these four buses, and hopefully cross our fingers that it's successful,” Cutler said. “It's kind of a little bit of a guinea pig.”

The idea for a transit route between Springdale and other cities in Washington County began circulating more than a decade ago. But it wasn’t until the Utah Department of Transportation committed a $15 million grant in 2018 to support the project's first decade that things got off the ground.

But even with the grant, locals want to know who's paying for it. The grant will go toward start-up costs, such as the buses, a new facility to house them and the first few years of service. A portion of a Washington County sales tax for transportation passed in 2019 is expected to cover the ongoing operating costs — estimated at more than $2 million a year.

“It's not really the St George city residents paying for it. It's the rest of the county,” Cutler said. “That's actually what's paying for it with tourism dollars.”

When it comes to tourism dollars, Zion brings in its share. Last year, the park attracted 4.7 million visitors and generated nearly $1 billion for the local economy.

As visitorship continues to grow, Greater Zion Convention and Tourism Office Director Brittany McMichael said the bus could be an integral part of a broader long-term plan to keep overcrowding from ruining both visitors’ and residents’ days.

“We're very hopeful that it will help with the sustainability of the tourism economy and making sure that the visitors have a good experience.”

Her team often hears requests from St. George tourists who want a way to visit Zion without a car, she said. Without this route, the current alternatives would be a private shuttle or a rideshare app, both of which she said would be fairly expensive compared to the planned $8 fare.

From the new bus route’s terminal in Springdale, visitors will then be able to connect with Zion National Park’s free shuttle service to get from town to the park’s most popular attractions in Zion Canyon.

“Sometimes people get kind of overwhelmed with the drive and then parking [at Zion],” McMichael said. “If they're just getting on a bus, being dropped off at a shuttle stop, hopping on the shuttle … That's a pretty seamless experience.”

While the rest of southwest Utah may primarily view the bus as a way to ferry tourists, Bruno said, Springdale sees the plan as a much-needed commuter option for the town’s workforce. That’s why she and other leaders — starting with previous Mayor Stan Smith — have pushed for a bus plan like this one for years.

If the route’s schedule can sync up with work shifts, her hope is that many of the town’s employees could ride it into and out of town. But with ongoing housing shortages and growing crowds at Zion, she doesn’t expect the bus to erase all of the town’s challenges.

If the route’s schedule can sync up with work shifts, her hope is that many of the town’s employees could ride it into and out of town. But with ongoing housing shortages and growing crowds at Zion, she doesn’t expect the bus to erase all of the town’s challenges.

“That could make a big dent in the number of cars that are coming in,” Bruno said, “but it's certainly not going to solve the whole problem.”

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Kolob Canyons Road construction is about to begin at Zion National Park

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This winter, drivers can look forward to smooth rides at Kolob Canyons Road in Zion National Park. On or after September 25, the National Park Service will start a project to repair damage that resulted from a landslide earlier in the year.

“Engineers and park maintenance staff developed the plan to repair the road in collaboration with the Federal Highway Administration,” Bry Carter, Zion Chief of Facilities Management said. “Just like all construction in the park, we are going to ensure this work complements the natural landscape and improves visitors’ experiences.”

Work is scheduled to be finished in winter 2023, but completion is dependent on the weather and availability of supplies. We will share more information as the project progresses. The project will involve:

Excavating unstable materials and reinforcing the road’s base to a depth of eight feet with geo-grid, structural cloth, and compacted soil.

Repaving more than 6,000 square feet of pavement.

Installing ditches, gutter, and curbs to drain the road more effectively.

While construction is happening, the road and all trailheads next to it will be closed to drivers, hikers, horse riders, and bicyclists. The closure is necessary so that the construction contractor can stage equipment, move soil, and store supplies. Please do not enter the closed area and contact Zion Wilderness Rangers if you had planned to use the Lee Pass Trailhead to access hikes or campsites on La Verkin Creek or Hop Valley Trails.

Background

In March 2023, rangers observed a depressed area on the road and closed it as a precaution. Shortly thereafter, the road began to collapse. The National Park Service worked with engineers from the Federal Highway Administration to assess the site and develop the plan to rehabilitate the road.

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Fall colors: Zion makes list of top national parks to visit this season

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Utah's Zion National Park has made another list of the top places to visit in the U.S. this fall, celebrated for the dramatic color contrasts of its changing riverside leaves and towering sandstone walls.

The southern Utah heat has given way to cooler temperatures as well, making for comfortable hikes and crisp view from its panoramic vistas.

"The summertime crowds have long since dispersed at Zion National Park when fall rolls around," according to the new list published by FamilyVacationist.com. "From September to November, the colors of the leaves make a very pretty contrast to the high red rock canyon walls."

Zion ranked second on the online list, trailing only Acadia National Park, located in Maine. That park is famous for its changing fall colors.

It's no secret Zion is a popular place to visit. The park drew nearly 4.7 million visitors in 2022 and ranks among the most-visited parks in the U.S.

But the brilliant fall colors found at the bottom of the park's canyons typically don't get the same attention as the iconic red-rock formations that tower above.

The contrasting colors, combined with the cooler weather and smaller crowds, make fall an ideal time to visit.

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Rockfall near Weeping Rock temporarily stops traffic on Zion Canyon Scenic Drive

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Weeping Rock remains closed while the National Park Service continues assessing the area

Around 3:40 p.m. on November 14, Zion National Park received a report of rockfall near Weeping Rock. Park rangers immediately responded and encountered a dust cloud on the road. The dust interrupted shuttle bus service until about 5 p.m. Shuttles returned to normal operations thereafter.

“Thankfully, park rangers did not need to treat any injuries,” Jeff Bradybaugh, Zion National Park Superintendent said. “Rockfall can happen at any time in this highly erosive landscape.”

Weeping Rock Shuttle Stop, parking area, and trail will remain closed until further notice while park scientists and maintenance staff assess rock in the area.

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Kolob Canyons Road reopens in Zion National Park

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National Park Service completes road construction to repair damage after landslide

Kolob Canyons Road is open! In collaboration with the Federal Highway Administration, the National Park Service completed work to:

Excavate unstable materials and reinforced the road’s base to a depth of eight feet with geo-grid, structural cloth, and compacted soil.

Repave more than 6,000 square feet of pavement.

nstall ditches, gutter, and curbs to drain the road more effectively.

This construction repaired damage from a landslide and reinforced the road to proactively increase resilience ahead of future weather or geologic events.

Background

In March 2023, rangers observed a depressed area on the road and closed it as a precaution. Shortly thereafter, the road began to collapse. The National Park Service worked with engineers from the Federal Highway Administration to assess the site and develop a plan to rehabilitate the road.

The National Park Service began work to rehabilitate the road in September 2023.

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Campground and Wilderness Permit Changes coming to Zion National Park in 2024

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National Park Service is improving campground services and applications for Wilderness permits

Effective in 2024, Zion National Park will change fees in campgrounds and start using a new online reservation system for canyoneering, backpacking camping, and other Wilderness permits.

“We adopted these changes to improve accessibility and visitor service,” Jeff Bradybaugh, Zion National Park Superintendent said. “These changes are going to help us maintain essential facilities like restrooms and drinking water systems, rehabilitate campsites, and simplify applications for Wilderness Recreation Permits.”

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