Zion National Park officials close Hidden Canyon Trail due to rockfall

July 2, 2018 Utah Channel 3

SPRINGDALE — Following a rockfall that occurred Monday afternoon, Zion National Park officials have temporarily closed Hidden Canyon Trail.

In this 20112 file photo used for illustrative purposes only, a rockslide blocks a portion of Hidden Canyon Trail in Zion National Park, July 26, 2012 | Photo courtesy of Zion National Park, St. George News

No one was injured in the rockfall, which came down in the chains section and covered approximately 45 feet of the trail in sand, according to a press release.

The trail will remain closed until the trail and chains have been assessed and the trail cleared.

Hidden Canyon Trail, built in 1928, leads from the East Rim Trail into the side ravine between Cable Mountain and the north wall of the Great White Throne.

The trail has been the focus of several problems over the years, including a July 2012 rockslide that stranded 11 park visitors for about three hours. Park rangers were able to set up a rope line and get the hikers out; however, the slide became active again the next night, dumping nearly 6 feet of debris on a steep, narrow section of the trail when all was said and done.

Hidden Canyon Trail was also closed over the summer in 2017 as workers completed the final phase of a multiyear repair effort as the result of flash food and natural seep damage.

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