Pa'rus - Creation from Destruction

Views along the Pa'rus Trail.

NPS/Abi Farish

Quick Facts

Amenities

5 listed

Accessible Sites, Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Pets Allowed, Scenic View/Photo Spot, Wheelchair Accessible

Creation From Destruction

Learn 

The Virgin River is the primary agent of erosion that continues to carve and shape Zion. The North Fork of the Virgin River begins north of Zion at Cascade Falls, where it drains out of Navajo Lake at 9,000 feet above sea level. It empties into Lake Mead at about 1000 feet above sea level, where it joins the Colorado River.  

Though the Virgin River is relatively small, it is incredibly steep. The river drops roughly 7,800 feet in the 160 miles it travels. In the park, the river drops an average of 71 feet every mile. In comparison, the Mississippi River drops about one inch every mile. This steepness, caused by the uplift of the Colorado Plateau, has given the Virgin River the ability to cut through sandstone and carve canyons. 

Look

When you look at the river is the water clear? Or is the water brown and murky? Rainstorms and snowmelt produce murky waters in the river as evidence of the sediment carried away. Once rain and snowmelt has stopped, the river can return to its calm and clear state in 24-48 hours.  

Connect

Flash flooding is a natural hazard of the desert southwest but not in other parts of the world. What natural hazard is common in your area? How do you learn about and prepare for it? Your safety is your responsibility at Zion National Park. Learning about the environmental hazards of a new area are important for having a fun and safe visit.  

Open Transcript 

Transcript

Hi there! I’m ranger Kess, and I’m thrilled to be hanging out on the Pa’rus with you today. All around us right now, we’re surrounded by impressive slopes and cliffs of brilliant red rock – but without the Virgin River’s powerful and destructive pattern of flash flooding, we wouldn’t be able to enjoy this wonderful landscape.

Every year during the monsoon season in the late summer, we experience dozens of these abrupt, fast-moving floods. Flash floods can rip trees from the ground, destroy roads, or even alter the course of the river entirely. Despite how terrifying these displays of power can be, there’s beauty in them, too: Flash floods are responsible for the majority of canyon ng the canyon walls like sandpaper, leaving a slightly wider, deeper canyon in its wake. Over the past few million years, these flash floods have continued carving Zion Canyon, exposing layers of vibrantly colored sandstone and giving us the geological wonder we’re standing in today.

As you continue your walk down the Pa’rus, be sure to keep an eye out for evidence of past flash floods like downed trees or logs jammed in the riverway. Remember, if you are spending time near or in this river check the flood potential at the visitor center and always alert for flash floods. Thanks for joining me, and enjoy your park!

Duration:

1 minute, 23 seconds

Join Ranger Kess to learn about how the erosive force of flash floods in the Virgin River carves Zion Canyon.