News Release

Zion National Park maintenance staff respond to road damage

National Park Service and utility employees work to repair infrastructure on Zion Canyon Scenic Drive.

NPS / Ally O'Rullian

News Release Date: March 23, 2023

Contact: Zion News Desk, 435-772-0162

SPRINGDALE, Utah – National Park Service staff are responding to rockfalls on Zion Canyon Scenic Drive and road damage on Kolob Canyons Road. These are the most recent of several similar but smaller events experienced along park roads and trails this winter. 

Work to address rockfall and road damage may affect visits to Zion, and you can always get the latest information at go.nps.gov/ZionConditions.
 

See public domain photos and video b-roll online.

Zion Canyon Scenic Drive 

• Single lane open near the work area.  

  • Zion Canyon Shuttle System is operating. 

  • The road may temporarily close and delay shuttles while repairs are happening. 
     

• Engineers and maintenance staff are: 

  • Assessing methods for road repair 

  • Repairing a damaged sewer cover and the vertical pipe (riser) that connects it to the sewer line. 

  • Completing work with a utility company to repair damaged buried electrical lines. 

    • Electrical service to Zion Lodge was interrupted from late on March 21 until the afternoon of March 22.  

Road damage caused by rockfall at Zion Canyon Scenic Drive late on March 21, 2023.

NPS / Sam Harvey

Kolob Canyons Road

• Closed to all use at the Kolob Canyons Visitor Center since March 15.

  • This closure applies to drivers, hikers, and bikers.
    

• Engineers and maintenance staff are:

  • Monitoring road conditions.

  • Assessing options to reopen the road.

Engineers and maintenance staff measuring road damage on Kolob Canyons Road.

NPS / Juan Galindo

Maintaining Infrastructure in Zion

The National Park Service has a dedicated crew of highly trained professionals who maintain roads, trails, and other facilities throughout Zion. These heavy equipment operators, tradespeople, and laborers are responsible for hosting millions of drivers, hikers, and bikers every year.

Zion maintains many buildings and infrastructural systems that are essential to visitors and to staff. These include:

• More than 110 buildings.

• More than 90 miles of trails.

• Nearly 90 miles of paved and unpaved roads.

• 10 water supply systems.

• 9 wastewater management systems.

• 3 developed front country campgrounds and many more backcountry campsites.