ST. GEORGE — The Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway, which runs through the heart of Zion National Park, has reopened, following a rockfall described as “significant” by park officials.
NPS
Update June 1, 7:40 p.m. Adds re-opening of Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway.
According to a National Park Service news release posted at 7:38 p.m.:
The Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway is open after Zion National Park staff cleared a rockfall west of the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel. After initially clearing the road, National Park Service (NPS) staff observed other loose rocks above the right of way. NPS staff used water pumped from a fire truck to dislodge these rocks.
The rockfall, which occurred west of the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel shortly before 2 p.m., had forced the closure of state Route 9 from the Canyon Junction Bridge to the East Entrance of the park. The length includes much of the area that is usually only accessible to the park’s shuttles as well as the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel.
“There was a rockfall on the highway, Jonathan Shafer, a spokesperson with Zion National Park, told St. George News. “Maintenance crews are going up to address it right now.”
Shafer added that to his understanding, there have been no injuries or property damage connected to the rockslide.
A news release issued by the National Park Service shortly before 4 p.m. Wednesday confirmed the rockfall did not damage any vehicles or cause any injuries. It also did not affect the road to Zion Canyon.
The road in Zion is commonly a site that sees landslides from the continually changing landscape of the park, including one last year and another in 2019
Check Zion National Park’s website to see alerts about the status of the road, and follow us on social media to learn more about the ongoing work.
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