A major landslide occurred in Zion National Park on Wednesday, April 12, 1995 at 8:55 p.m. It consisted of about 300,000 cubic yards of material and was about 150 yards wide.
The slide is located in the main canyon, directly across from a formation called the Twin Brothers. This is about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 miles north of the main visitors center or slightly more than 1 mile from the intersection of Zion Scenic Drive (the main road up the canyon) and the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway (which passes through the tunnel).
The slide dammed the Virgin river and created a lake 35 feet deep and more than 1,000 feet long. The earthen dam was breached soon after, and the river began flowing along the Zion Scenic Drive, washing out about 200 yards of the road. Utilities (sewer, phone and water) located under the road were washed out as well.
More than 320 visitors, 130 employees of the Lodge and 40 trail ponies were trapped until a temporary road was completed late Thursday, April 13, 1995. In addition, almost 1,000 people were temporarily evacuated from campgrounds and housing facilities downstream from the slide. No one was killed, missing or injured in the slide.
Contrary to reports by the media, THE PARK IS OPEN AND HAS NEVER CLOSED IN SPITE OF THE LANDSLIDE. There are many sights to see and things to do in the areas not affected by the slide.
Although the Zion Lodge is closed, the town of Springdale (located at the park entrance) has many excellent accommodations, restaurants and gift shops. People in the town are very helpful and friendly; they want visitors to know that the Park is open and that visitors are welcome.
The exaggerated media reports have kept many visitors from the Park, so the usual heavy crowds are rather light for this time of year. Now may be the best time to visit.
[NOTE: THE FOLLOWING IS A TRANSCRIPTION OF AN INTERNAL PARK MEMORANDUM. IT CONTAINS SOME MISSPELLINGS, TYPOS AND OTHER SMALL ERRORS THAT APPEARED IN THE ORIGINAL DOCUMENT.]
***** UPDATE ON THE SPONGE ROCK SLIDE *****
04/28/95
The best option for reconstruction: a concrete slab and pre-fab panel approach to create a 18 foot wall along the river with a new road section contructed [sic] on top of the wall; slabs have extensions back into the roadbed 1/2 the height of the wall at the base. This would leave the slide and river where they are. Utilities will go in along with the road construction.
This option will result in [a] 1 1/2 week period where there would be virtually no vehicle access. Guaranteed to open for traffic but road may not be done (could be foot traffic) on Memorial Day weekend.
If this doesn't work (based on soil tests) the next option would be to go with the boulder fill option, which means moving the river back to the west, which will be more costly and lengthy to do.
It has been decided to keep the canyon closed until the work is done.
Maintenance is to keep dumping riprap so we don't lose the lower end of the temporary road over the weekend, and as needed.
-- Survey crew here on Saturday for Fed Highways.
-- Drill geo-test holes and get results next week.
-- Following that, can plan reconstruction schedule.
All access, except Lodge and Park staff, to the upper canyon is closed until further notice, pending review by the Federal Highway Administration. This includes access through the backcountry trail systems. Area will be patrolled and violators can be cited. We will be planning a long-term use policy after the engineer reports and coordination with maintenance and the concession.
Public Information Officer Doug Caldwell will be in Zion for 5 days effective Thursday, April 27. He will be physically situated in the small conference room and will assist Denny and Eddie with media contacts stressing that the park is open and functional, not closed as some people believe.
The 1995 summer Sentinel Park Guide is at the printer. Shipment of the first 50,000 copies is due in about 2 weeks. The front page will have a special article on the April 13th [sic] slide, detailing how visitors can use and enjoy the park and surrounding areas while road repairs are being made.
JL Crawford has identified past significant slides occurring in the same location in June 1923 and May 1941.
The Nature Center can be used in the interim as a picnic area. Please advise visitors that there are no barbecues or fire pits at that location. Also, the campgrounds are not to be used for day picnickers.
[NOTE: THIS INFORMATION IS TAKEN FROM A TELEPHONE CONVERSATION WITH PARK OFFICIALS ON MAY 9, 1995 AT ABOUT 10:15 AM MST.]
Soil tests were completed last Thursday and indicate that good bedrock exists underneath the current temporary road into the upper canyon. Rumors that the slide material is still moving are not true. Rumors that the canyon road will not be completed until July are not true. The federal government has signed a contract with a private construction company which provides that the road will be open to foot and vehicular traffic by May 27. The crews are now working 2 shifts per day (16 hours total). The upper canyon will remain closed to everyone but the work crews--that includes backbackers. The Zion Shuttle being serviced in Hurricane was the backup shuttle. Another one is waiting at the Lodge and will be in service as soon as the road is completed.
AN EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT:
Initial media reports gave the impression that the entire Park was closed. That is certainly not the case. I visited the Park last week with my family and had a great time. We stayed in or near the park for a total of 4 days.
No, you can't really get close enough to see the slide. The main road up the canyon is closed to all visitors (including backpackers). Backpacking permits are stamped with a warning not to enter the main canyon from the rim.
The road that passes through the 1 mile long Zion Tunnel is open. The 3 1/2 miles of switchbacks which descend to the canyon floor are open as well and provide excellent photo opportunities.
If you were looking forward to hiking Angels Landing but are unable to do so, try the Canyon Overlook Trail. It is located immediately before the east entrance of the Zion Tunnel.
For a Zion Narrows substitute, you can try Clear Creek (the stream that the highway follows on the east side of the park. THIS CAN BE DANGEROUS. WATCH OUT FOR QUICKSAND. BE CAREFUL.
For a real surprise and a nice day trip, visit the Kolob Canyons section of the park. It is just off of I-15, and we zipped up there in about 45 minutes from the South Entrance to the park. The scenery was stunning and more colorful than what you would see in the main canyon. We brought a picnic lunch: there are tables and grills at the end of the scenic road. We hiked the short (1 mile) Timber Creek Overlook Trail and viewed Mt. Trumbull (90 miles away in Arizona!). There are other, longer hikes; ask the rangers at the visitors center when you take Exit 40 on I-15 headed north.
For other activities, try the O.C. Tanner Amphitheater (access road near the Park entrance). At 8 p.m. every night from May to September, Dixie College puts on a multimedia presentation called The Grand Circle (a tour of 8 national parks). $4 adults, $3 students or $10 family (very nice for us because we have 3 little girls).
If you simply must SEE THE CANYON but the road work is not yet completed, try the IMAX Theater ($7--$6 with coupons found in shops throughout town).
WILL THE ROAD BE REPAIRED BY MEMORIAL DAY?
It's certainly very possible at this point. The rumored July completion date is a complete exaggeration and is typical of the inaccurate rumors that have been circulating. Remember that a significant slide occurred in the Grand Canyon on March 6 which damaged three major trails and 3 sections of the park's main water pipeline. The damage was fixed by March 18. The work took less than 10 days at 20 hours per day (200 hours total). In Zion, work began May 10. That leaves 17 days of 16 hours per day (or 272 hours total). Remember also that initial estimates were 2-3 days to build a temporary road to evacuate the Lodge. It actually took only 1 day.
[NOTE: THIS INFORMATION IS TAKEN FROM A ONE-PAGE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE HANDOUT GIVEN TO ALL PARK VISITORS.]
ZION NATIONAL PARK
SPECIAL INFORMATION
Can't go to the upper Zion Canyon?
Here's some ideas on what to do and where to go...
Yes, geology (in this case also sometimes called Mother Nature) has struck with a flair! Fortunately, Zion National Park has a great deal more to offer than just what's in the upper canyon. Listed below are some things you can do in Zion National Park.
WHAT TO SEE FROM YOUR CAR
Spend some time drinking in all this magnificent scenery that can be seen from the ZION-MT. CARMEL HIGHWAY, between the South and East Entrances to the Park. The lower canyon is lovely, and the magnificent SLICKROCK AREA to the east of the long tunnel is special; a great place to unwind and relax, as long as curvy roads do not bother you. See the MUSEUM in the VISITOR CENTER, or attend one of our three-a-day RANGER TALKS.
Drive up toward LAVA POINT. While the road is closed by snow at a place called BLACK'S CANYON, there is some nice scenery along the road before you get there; it passes between two cinder cones and past some unusual hoodoos and then up a steep hill (locally called MALONEY HILL). To get there, follow Highway 9 out the south entrance to the small town of VIRGIN and turn north on the KOLOB RESERVOIR road.
The KOLOB CANYONS SECTION. Although a 45 mile (1 hour) drive from the South Entrance. [sic] Take Highway 9 west to LaVerkin, then turn right on Highway 17, up through Toquerville to Interstate 15, then north to the KOLOB CANYONS at exit 40. From the Visitor Center there, a 5 mile road winds up behind an obscuring ridge to reveal the stunningly beautiful KOLOB FINGER CANYONS. The road is self-guided, so pick up a copy of the road guide at the Visitor Center. There is a picnic area at the end of the road, so you can take your lunch with you.
WHERE TO GO ON FOOT
First, consult the park trails section in your Park Guide. You will see that several nearby trails are not in the area that was closed by that mean ol' spoilsport landslide.
WATCHMAN TRAIL is accessed through the entrance to Watchman Campground, near the South Entrance to the Park, then turn left at the Watchman Trail sign. Our best wildflower trail just now.
Walk up the new PA'RUS HIKE/BIKE TRAIL that starts in Watchman Campground and passes through South Campground and up along the river for about 1.5 miles (but watch out for bicyclers!). If you're not staying in the campgrounds, you must park in either Campground Amphitheater parking lot and catch the trail from there. It's about a 3 mile round-trip.
CANYON OVERLOOK TRAIL, on the east side of the long tunnel.
SLICKROCK SIDE CANYONS on the north side of the highway on the East Side (past the long tunnel) can be a lot of fun to explore. Some are easy, some difficult. All are box canyons. Just be sure to park off the road, and watch your step. Try to stay on the rock or in the canyon bottoms. CLEAR CREEK, the watercourse that the highway follows is also fun to explore, but as of this writing it still has water in it, which can make it SERIOUSLY dangerous, particularly in the narrow spots, due to quicksand. Even after the creek drys [sic] up, quicksand can be a problem in stagnant pools, so be careful.
EAST RIM TRAIL starts near the East Entrance and climbs up on top of the mesa. Generally used as an overnight backpacking trail, due to its length and proximity to Deertrap and Cable Mountains (both about 8 miles in from the start of the trail). It can be a nice trail to hike in on for a shorter distance (as far as you feel like going), and then turn around and come back out.
HIKER ALERT! ALL AREAS IN UPPER ZION CANYON BELOW THE CANYON RIM ARE CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.
HUBER WASH has no trail, but it is easy to follow the bottom of the wash; you might get your feet a bit wet this time of year, though. After a couple of miles you come to the intersection where the CHINLE TRAIL drops down to cross Huber Wash. Just up around the corner from this intersection, you can see some large petrified logs protruding from the right stream bank. This is a good place to turn around, as the hiking becomes more difficult. Please remember that it is against the law to collect things such as petrified wood, rocks, and flowers in National Parks! To get there, follow Highway 9 out the South Entrance, through Springdale and Rockville, then look for a wide shoulder on the right and the Huber Wash sign.
COALPITS WASH has no official trail, but there is a "beaten path" along the right hand side of the canyon. Nice canyon scenery but different from Zion Canyon, since the geological components are different. There should be some nice wildflowers blooming out there now. Look out for quicksand along the stream; you could lose a shoe in it. To get there follow Huber Wash instructions but continue about a mile further down the rather long hill. At the bottom is a bridge and a Coal Pits Wash sign, and before the bridge a wide shoulder and narrow road that goes a short way in to the Hiker Gate that controls access.
TAYLOR CREEK trails. The trailheads are along the road that goes into the KOLOB CANYONS area. See the "from your car" information to get there, about 45 miles from the Zion Canyon area. More info available at the Visitor Center up there.
NORTHGATE PEAKS TRAIL. Follow the "from your car" Lava Point road instructions up to the top of Maloney Hill. Park in the WILDCAT CANYON TRAIL parking lot. Follow this trail to the junction with the Northgate Peaks Trail. The Wildcat Canyon trail continues on up into the snow, at present, but should be available after the snow melts in the latter part of May.
SUPPORT SERVICES & FACILITIES
A full range of visitor support services and facilities is available in adjacent communities. Just outside the east entrance is a campground, service station, restaurant and camping supplies. In Springdale, adjacent to the park's south entrance, is a wide selection of motels, restaurants, grocery stores, gift shops, banking, service stations, laundromats, and post office. Staff members at these facilities are pleased to join with the park staff in making your visit as enjoyable as possible.
As you explore Zion's wonders remember to be safe and help protect your National Park. If you need any additional information about places to discover in Zion, be sure to contact a ranger at the Visitor Center.
WHERE TO STAY NEAR ZION CANYON:
[Note: This information is mostly taken from Utah! Travel Guide, published by the Utah Travel Council, 800-200-1160. Copyright 1995, Utah Travel Council, used with permission.]
