Zion Mount Carmel Highway closed due to road damage from storms
By Aly Baltrus
The Zion Mount Carmel Highway was closed the evening of March 2 after reports of an active rockslide on the switchbacks below the tunnel. The area was assessed the morning of March 3. A retaining wall failed, and 8 feet of the road is severely undercut east of the first switchback. The Zion Mount Carmel Highway from the east entrance to Canyon Junction is closed until further notice.
Due to this storm, access to Canyon Overlook Trail near the Zion Mount Carmel Tunnel is closed. Several canyonneering routes have also been closed because they are normally accessed from the closed road. These include Keyhole, Canyon Overlook, Pine Creek, Spry, Clear Creek, Fat Man’s Misery, and Lodge Canyons. The East Rim Trailhead is accessible from Zion’s east entrance. Staff are currently checking trail conditions on the remaining trails.
Alternate east and west driving routes are available via Highway 59 from Hurricane to Fredonia, Arizona and Highway 14 from Cedar City to Long Valley Junction and Highway 89. People coming from Interstate 15 to the park may access the park as usual by traveling east on State Route 9 through Springdale. All park facilities, including the visitor center, museum, campgrounds, and shuttle buses, are open and operating as normal in Zion Canyon. The Kolob Canyons facilities and Kolob Terrace are open as usual.
Visitors should expect trail closures. The Kayenta Trail and Upper Emerald Pools Trail remain closed due to a landslide that has continued to settle since July 2018. The East Rim Trail as well as total access to Hidden Canyon and access from the main canyon to Observation Point remain closed due to a landslide and an unstable overhanging boulder since January.
From October 2018 to the present, Zion Canyon has received 10.12 inches of precipitation. In comparison, during the same time period one year ago, the same area received 2.77 inches of precipitation.
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