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- Zion National Park's main road reopened after a significant rockslide closed it Monday.
- No injuries or property damage occurred, but nine cubic meters of debris were cleared from the roadway.
- Visitors are advised to avoid lingering in the area due to frequent rockfalls.
ZION NATIONAL PARK — The main road in Zion National Park has reopened after a rockslide forced its closure Monday.
According to Zion National Park spokeswoman Amanda Rowland, the slide occurred about 3:30 p.m. Monday in the Big Bend area.
Rocks, dust and other debris fell near the Weeping Rock bus stop, where park visitors often go to try and spot condors. Visitors located north of the rockfall were evacuated by park rangers.
Zion Canyon Scenic Drive remained temporarily closed past the Grotto on Tuesday morning but reopened in the afternoon. About 9 cubic meters of material were removed from the road.
The park's physical scientist assessed the rockfall site and determined a 20-by-30-foot block of Navajo sandstone located more than 430 feet above the roadway failed and fell down the mountainside. Vegetation rooting and high temperatures likely contributed to the rockfall, the park said in a statement.
"Thankfully, there were no injuries or property damage," said Jeff Bradybaugh, Zion National Park superintendent. "Rockfall can happen anywhere at any time in this highly erosive landscape."
Adam Jones and his friend were climbing on the Organasm route across the valley, and he captured photos of the rocks crashing down. In a video of the aftermath, Jones said the rocks fell from an undercling and took out a tree.
Terri French and her husband were riding e-bikes down the canyon Monday and had just passed the Big Bend parking area when they noticed a lot of people gathered in a turnout.
"Just as we were passing this group of people, I heard a loud sound that started out like a crack of thunder. Immediately, someone in the turnout yelled, 'Rockfall!'" French said.
French said she could hear rocks falling behind her, so she rode as fast as she could away from the slide. At first, she couldn't see her husband and was worried he had gotten caught in the slide. She found him farther down the road with some other bicyclists who were about to head toward Big Bend before the slide occurred.
French's husband took a video capturing some of the residual rocks falling after the initial slide. "As far as we know, we were the last two people to travel through the area before the rock slide happened," she said.
While Zion Canyon Scenic Drive has reopened, signs saying "Caution rockfall zone ahead" have been posted in the area.
"We ask visitors not to linger through this area. Rockfall in Zion is frequent and unpredictable; it's difficult to predict when or where the next rockfall will happen," a park statement said.
