A large rockfall has closed access inside Zion National Park, blocking Zion Canyon Shuttles from going past The Grotto. People traveling by bike or on foot on Zion Canyon Scenic Drive also cannot go past the Great White Throne pullout.
The Grotto is stop number 6 on the Zion Canyon Shuttles route, while the Great White Throne pullout sits between stops 7 and 8. Officials have not provided a timeline for reopening the road.
The Grotto and the pullout
The closure leaves two different groups with different limits. Shuttle service stops at The Grotto for Zion Canyon Shuttles, and non-shuttle travel ends farther up the road at the Great White Throne pullout.
That split matters for anyone planning a route through Zion Canyon Scenic Drive and. A rider or walker cannot continue past the pullout, while shuttle riders are stopped earlier at stop number 6.
Zion National Park rockfall cleanup
Zion National Park says rockfall cleanup can take different amounts of time depending on where the fall happens. Some sites can be moved by hand, while others require heavy machinery and blasting devices to break rocks into smaller pieces.
The park also says rockfall sites can remain active for days, weeks, or years. Crews may close a site if they are concerned about instability, and they may keep rocks in place until they are sure the site is no longer active. National Park Service reports body recovered in Theodore Roosevelt National Park
For now, the practical answer for travelers is simple: do not plan on passing The Grotto by shuttle or the Great White Throne pullout by bike or foot until Zion National Park reopens the route. The road inside the park remains closed past those points, and no reopening date has been set. Mike Davidson says bulldozers reached Big Bend National Park area
