Rockslides Closed Down Trails At Zion National Park

Because of the heavy rains in Utah last Friday, a rockslide occurred in Zion National Park, inadvertently closing the two-mile stretch of Zion Scenic Drive, an area just north of Zion Lodge. 200 tons of rock and debris tumbled down the road, making the route impassable.

Fortunately, nobody was hurt in the incident. However, a dozen of visitors were trapped and had to be rescued by the park crews. They were then shuttled back to their hotels.

The official page of Zion National Park posted in Facebook about what happened, as well as several pictures depicting the severity of the rockslide. They said: "The Zion Scenic Drive is closed just north of the Zion Lodge. At approximately 6 p.m. Friday night, a large rock and debris slide occurred just north of the Grotto covering both lanes on the Scenic Drive. The slide was about the size of four car lengths, (approximately 200 tons of rock and debris) covering both lanes, and making it impassable by vehicle. No one was injured in the incident."

"At the time of the slide, twelve vehicles were on the opposite side of the slide;" they continued. "In collaboration with Zion Lodge personnel, all but one party were shuttled to their respective hotels. The party that elected to remain in their vehicle had adequate provisions for the night, and will be evacuated today."

Other landsides also occurred inside the National Park, temporarily closing down other trails inside. According to the park, "The Temple of Sinawava and Weeping Rock trail heads are closed. Saturation remains a concern and further slides are possible throughout the park. The Lower Emerald Pools Trail and part of Sand Bench Trail are both closed due to other landslides."

The parking situation will be chaotic due to the closing down of the roads at the lodge. The park also reminded their visitors to be aware of the possible crowding during the weekend and the limited parking space.

All the blocked roads will be opened as soon as everything dries out, according to the road crews. They must first assess the damage done by the rockslide before removing all the blocked debris.