SPRINGDALE, Utah — There have been some dangerous drives for Zion National Park visitors this week after a rockfall where car-sized boulders rained down upon a major park roadway, forcing its closure.
Wednesday's rockfall has temporarily closed all lanes of the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway, causing slight disruptions for those who came to see the beautiful park.
"They have more gates closed; we cannot drive further, so for the west, we don't know," said visitor Eduardo Arnal.
Video below shows aftermath of Zion National Park rockfall (Janelle Scheible Collins):
The ongoing cleanup and road closure have caused issues for hikers who parked beyond the gate and had some trouble getting out.
"We expected water and not rocks sliding on the road; that would be our main problem today. We hope we can get our car," said Marleen Wennemar, visiting from Germany.
Most visitors were able to retrieve their cars and drive out of the park. The rockfall serves as a reminder that when visiting Zion and other locations throughout the state, guests should remain cautious under the uncertainty of the mountain.
"It's a place that, even if you have infrastructure, you must be careful in these types of places for sure," Arnal said.
The Department of the Interior has yet to respond to a request for further details about the rockslide and whether any injuries or damage were reported.
Meanwhile, the park is still open for business, and most visitors had no issues enjoying their day inside one of Utah's Mighty 5.
"The park will probably have it cleaned up; it happens five or six times a year," said mountain biker Jason Howard.
Zion officials have yet to say when the roadway will be reopened.