ZION STUDY
thespectrum.com
Utah’s national parks are filled with dramatic scenic views and some of the best hiking trails in the entire world. Zion National Park, it could be argued, is the jewel in an entire crown of natural wonders.
But national parks also can be dangerous places because of natural hazards that demand visitors’ respect.
Those hazards are the focus of a new study about Zion published by the Utah Geologic Survey. The main goal of the study is to assist park managers as they map out the future of Zion.
The study focused on high-use areas of the park — Zion and Kolob canyons, Kolob Terrace and the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway corridor. The findings provided the basis of maps that show areas subject to flooding, rock falls, landslides and erosion, among other hazards. The plan is for park managers to use the information as they plan out improvements in an effort to keep the more than 2.5 million visitors each year to Zion safe.
