Attracting over five million visitors every year, Zion National Park is among the country’s most popular, known for its canyons and vast desert landscapes.
It also attracts visitors interested in adventure sports such as canyoneering, rock climbing and whitewater rafting — all provide different ways to see and experience distinctive rock formations spread throughout the expansive territory.
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Rock slides happen frequently in Zion National Park
But the cliffs made up of limestone, sandstone and siltstone formations are also prone to regular rockslides. On the afternoon of Feb. 24, falling rocks led to the closure of the popular Zion Canyon Scenic Drive — considered the most scenic of the four main vehicle roads passing through the park, it stretches approximately seven miles and passes through popular landmarks such as Angel’s Landing and Weeping Rock.
The rockslide occurred at approximately 3:30 p.m. in the park’s Big Bend area; while no injuries were reported, the road was closed down for park workers to clean up and evaluate for risk of a repeat. The only exceptions are for emergency personnel and guests with a booked reservation at Zion Lodge.
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“Zion Canyon Scenic Drive is temporarily closed due to a rockfall near Big Bend,” the National Park Service (NPS) writes on the Zion page. “Guests with Lodge reservations will have road access up to the Lodge.”
Everyone else needs to take the one of the other main roads to get through the park; State Route 9 is generally taken by those willing to forgo the sights to get through the park faster. Zion Canyon Scenic Drive, meanwhile, remained closed as of the morning of Feb. 25.
These are the types of accidents that regularly take place at Zion National Park
Home to both steep cliffs and rocky canyon terrain, Zion regularly sees visitor injuries and worse related to falls. At the start of February, a hiker fell to his death over what was likely a misstep on a cliff at the park’s Canyon Overlook Trail.
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Another high-profile tragedy took place in October 2024 when Justin Bingham, the CEO of Utah software tech company Opiniion, fell while rappelling into Zion’s Heaps Canyon on a friends trip.
Bingham was pronounced dead before he could be airlifted to a hospital while the other three friends traveling with him with were extracted from the canyon without injury.
Zion National Park is a popular destination for extreme sports enthusiasts.
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In a description of the accident, park authorities said that the “rescue team arrived on scene and rendered emergency medical care” while also assisting “with rappelling down the canyon” for the men stuck inside.
In its safety guide for the park, NPS authorities remind visitors to always be aware of cliffs and the potential for falling rocks on any hike they undertake. The most standard instructions are to stay on marked trails, keep away from ledges and respect warnings posted on any permanent or temporary signage.
“Loose sand or pebbles on stone are very slippery,” the government agency writes. “Be careful of edges when using cameras or binoculars. Never throw or roll rocks. There may be hikers below you.”
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