About 15-20 minutes ago, a massive rockslide happened between the main towers of Kolob Canyon (about 30 minutes north of Zion NP).

I’m staying about five miles west in New Harmony and can see a large dust plume. With binoculars, it’s hard to make out if there’s a fresh vertical surface on the eastern tower.

Pretty amazing. My family members say the road goes up through that canyon. Let’s hope the debris field doesn’t reach the road. If so, visitors could be trapped in the debris or above it. We called UHP, 911 and NP. They were unaware. Not sure if they can get a helicopter before sundown.

Yikes.

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Originally posted by Russ59:
About 15-20 minutes ago, a massive rockslide happened between the main towers of Kolob Canyon (about 30 minutes north of Zion NP).

I’m staying about five miles west in New Harmony and can see a large dust plume. With binoculars, it’s hard to make out if there’s a fresh vertical surface on the eastern tower.

Pretty amazing. My family members say the road goes up through that canyon. Let’s hope the debris field doesn’t reach the road. If so, visitors could be trapped in the debris or above it. We called UHP, 911 and NP. They were unaware. Not sure if they can get a helicopter before sundown.

Yikes.

Wow, be safe. That’s a beautiful area.

I did my geology field camp in that area in college. Stayed in Cedar City and hiked all over, including Kolob Canyon. It’s a beautiful area. I hope nobody was hurt.

Good hiking in that area. Nothing current yet on the slide.

This is from 03/13/2021, right after a fresh coat of snow. Beautiful drive up to the top.

Wow!! We live near Zion and have seen a few rock falls, it's awesome. I love that geology is an active science.

Was someone singing, "Hie unto Kolob" off-tune maybe? ( Ainsider Mormon joke, that fellow Mormons might, or might not find funny)

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Kolob Canyon

El Linkamundo




UPDATED: Active rockslide closes Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway
Written by Cody Blowers
March 3, 2019

ZION NATIONAL PARK — The Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway that connects state Route 9 between Springdale and Mt. Carmel Junction is closed due to falling rock debris.


A rockfall in Zion National Park results in an undercut portion of road on the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway, Utah, March 3, 2019 | Photo courtesy of the National Park Service, St. George News
The highway is closed from Canyon Junction to the east tunnel entrance after rock and debris were sent falling along the highway, according to a tweet released by park officials Saturday evening.

The road will remain closed until further notice after an assessment Sunday morning found that a retaining wall failed, resulting in 8 feet of severely undercut road east of the first switchback.

Alternate east and west routes are available via state Route 59 from Hurricane to Fredonia, Arizona, and state Route 14 from Cedar City to Long Valley Junction and Highway 89.

Visitors may access the Park by traveling east on state Route 9 from Interstate 15.

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 remain open.

Visitors to the park should be extra cautious this time of year, park officials said in an earlier interview, as saturation remains a concern and further slides are possible throughout the park.

Road condition updates will be provided on the park website and social media outlets. The park’s short range radio broadcast systems at Mt. Carmel Junction, Hurricane and both park entrances will also broadcast the status of the closure.

Update 1 p.m. The road has been closed until further notice.

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March 3, 2019

That was 13 months ago.

My experience was yesterday and was well above any roadway.

My guess is what we saw didn’t affect the roadway just east of Kolob Canyon’s entrance from I-15.

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That was 13 months ago.

Shoot missed that

We really lucked out visiting the main area of Zion in September of 2015. About one day after we came in on route 9 from the east it was blocked by a hundred ton rockslide.

My family visited today. The slide is further up the canyon and some hiking trails are closed, but the road remains open.