Zion Trail Closures on East Rim Extended until October 2, 2014

Springdale, Utah:Following two major rain events this month, Zion National Park is forced to push back the weekday reopening of the East Rim Trail from September 19thto October 3rd. This work is part of a multi-year project to rehabilitate several of the trails out of the Weeping Rock shuttle area. The East Rim Trail will remain open Saturdays and Sundays, and most Fridays, as construction continues.

Trail crews were pulled from their work in order to help clean up the damage caused by the flooding from several recent downpours, including earlier this week, when Zion Canyon received its seventh highest one-day rain total in 86 years. "The recent rains, especially the remnants of Hurricane Norbert, caused quite a mess. Our entire maintenance crew did a fantastic job cleaning up and helping us reopen and get back to normal," said Acting Superintendent Jack Burns. "The cleanup did set us behind on a couple of projects, including the East Rim Trail."

Before fully reopening the trail, the crew will need to pour several sections of concrete. "Unfortunately, there is no way to rush or skip this portion of the project or leave it for next year," commented Burns. "It will both help keep the trail from being further damaged and make it safer for our visitors. We appreciate everyone's patience and understanding." This project is funded by the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act Funding Program, which uses funds collected from the park entrance and use fees to complete park maintenance projects, and public service programs