Three people have been injured in a large rockfall at Zion National Park in Utah on Monday afternoon, park authorities said. One of the injured was transported to the hospital by a park ambulance. Several people were temporarily stranded at the end of Weeping Rock Trail for a short time, but they were able to self-rescue.
“A substantial piece of rock” broke off Cable Mountain around 3,000 feet above Weeping Rock, the park said in a statement. Park staff were notified of the fall near a Weeping Rock shuttle stop around 5:50 pm.
The falling rock hit the closed East Rim knocking down trees and showering visitors with what was described as smaller rocks, branches and a plume of dust and sand. Shuttles were stopped for approximately 90 minutes as the dust settled.
The Weeping Rock Trail and Weeping Rock Shuttle Stop (Stop #7) are closed until further notice. The Echo Canyon and Observation Point Canyon canyoneering routes are also closed, as is the East Rim Trail from Observation Point to Weeping Rock.
