Zion's Weeping Rock and Other Trails Closed "Indefinitely"

Above, Weeping Rock from the Weeping Rock trail. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Weeping Rock and other Zion National Park trails are now closed "indefinitely" due to the possibility of new rockfalls.

According to The Spectrum:

A rockfall in late August dumped 435,712 cubic feet of debris onto Weeping Rock trail and nearby trails at Zion National Park and a new report from the Utah Geological Survey finds similar rockfalls could happen at any time in the area. 

“With annual visitation exceeding 4.3 million in 2018, the likelihood of geologic hazards affecting park visitors and infrastructure continues to rise,” the survey states. 

The rockfall occurred around 5:30 p.m. on Aug. 24, 2019, injuring three visitors. A piece of Navajo sandstone weighing over 31,000 tons, broke off Cable Mountain, about 3,000 feet above Weeping Rock. The rockfall caused an avalanche of debris to fall on the Weeping Rock trailhead parking lot, the trail itself, Hidden Canyon trail, East Rim trail, with some rocks flowing across the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive to the Virgin River.

Park officials have said that the trails affected by this rockfall will be closed to hikers indefinitely. Cass Bromley, the chief of resource management and research for the park, said the area is still experiencing lots of movement from precipitation and colder weather. She said the park is "letting winter and water do its work."

To read more, go here.

Zion National Park Celebrates 100 Years As A National Park

Above, the Great White Throne at Zion National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Today marks 100 years since Zion National Park became a national park.

It is Utah's oldest national park and there is much about it that the average person doesn't know.

The Spectrum has an article (along with photographs) of facts about the park

They begin with:

Since Nov. 19, 1919, the day Zion became a National Park, it has exploded in popularity. What was once a home for Native Americans now hosts over 4.5 million visitors from around the world every year. 

"The word Zion is known around the world," Lyman Hafen, executive director of the Zion Forever Project, the official nonprofit partner of Zion, said. "You walk on a trail in Zion and you hear all of [these different] languages. It's pretty amazing to see how many people from all around the world are finding their way to Zion."

Congress designated the land in southwestern Utah as a National Park — the state's first — but how much do you know about its history?

To read more, go here. 

Zion National Park Sets Attendance Record

Above, The Watchman at Zion National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Back when my family first started visiting national parks during the late 1960s, Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks in Utah seemed safely remote from big urban centers such as Los Angeles. 

Not anymore. People have been visiting Zion National Park in record numbers.

According to The Spectrum:

With a month to spare, Zion National Park has set a new record for visitation this year, heightening concerns about overcrowding just as park managers consider a controversial fee hike and requiring visitors to go through an online reservation system. 

The park had counted 4,365,946 visitors through the end of November, representing nearly a 5 percent increase over last year's record numbers. Since 2010, the park has seen visitation increase nearly 70 percent.

Other Utah national parks are seeing record numbers in attendance.

To read more, go here. 

Zion Warns of Big Memorial Day Crowds

Above, Checkerboard Mesa at Zion National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Memorial Day weekend traditionally marks the beginning of the summer vacation season, although it is still spring.

That means more people will be jamming into the national parks, and Zion National Park is one of them.

According to The Spectrum:

Zion National Park officials are warning visitors to be ready for some crowding over the Memorial Day weekend. 

The three-day weekend traditionally marks the beginning of the busy season at Zion, with officials expecting the crowds to approach or surpass last year’s counts of more than 70,000 people. 

Parking are expected to fill up by 9 a.m., with long wait times for those lining up to enter the park or board park shuttles.

To read more, go here.