Dust cloud from Zion National Park rockfall disrupts traffic. ‘It sounded like thunder’
A brittle slab of rock cracked off and tumbled down a cliff in Zion National Park, leading to an apocalyptic scene in the canyon below, dramatic photos show.
The rockfall near Weeping Rock ground up a massive dust cloud that cloaked Echo Canyon roads and disrupted traffic and bus shuttle service Tuesday, Nov. 14, park officials said in a Nov. 15 Facebook post.
“Thankfully, park rangers did not need to treat any injuries,” Jeff Bradybaugh, the Utah park’s superintendent, said in the post. “Rockfall can happen at any time in this highly erosive landscape.”
Officials closed the Weeping Rock shuttle stop, parking area and trail until further notice while scientists and maintenance workers examine the area.
Officials posted dramatic photos of the rockfall scarring and the fine dust it produced covering the parking lot.
Outdoorsy folks discussed the conditions in the comments.
“That’s a pretty good chunk,” someone said. “Glad no one was hiking when that fell.”
Someone said they “were there when the rock came down” and didn’t specify where, but said they were “chewing grit for hours” after the fine dust coated everything in sight.
“It was amazing how the dust covered us and got into everything,” they said. “It doesn’t taste the greatest either!”
A pair of hikers witnessed the rockfall from about half a mile away on Angel’s Landing, KSLTV reported.
They were hiking and stopped to look up at the sky — because “it sounded like thunder,” one of them told the station. They shared a stunning video they took of the ground shaking and the massive dust cloud swirling through the canyon and covering the road.
“When you see something like that coming down, it is scary at first,” Cindy Ulshafer told the station. “It was quite an experience. It was my first time on Angel’s Landing, and I couldn’t believe we experienced this.”
