Zion National Park announces closure of certain trails for maintenance
Feb 3, 2022, 4:16 PM
FILE: Zion National Park (Photo by George Frey/Getty Images)
(Photo by George Frey/Getty Images)
SPRINGDALE, Utah—Zion National Park announced that two trails will be temporarily closed while the National Park Service, NPS completes essential maintenance work at Scout Lookout and the Watchman Trail.
According to a release from the park, the NPS regularly “addresses needs that will make hiking better and protects the park’s landscapes, plants, animals, and history.”
“This work is very visible, but it’s a small part of the huge effort our trail crew makes every year to ensure visitors enjoy our more than 90 miles of hiking trails,” Jeff Bradybaugh, Zion National Park Superintendent said. “Hiking is a great part of the Zion National Park experience, and this work will make sure it stays that way,”
Watchman Trail maintenance details:
- Starts Monday, February 7 and the trail is scheduled to be closed for about a week.
- Involves a temporary trail closure.
- Will improve stairs and the trail route.
The Watchman Trail provides views of Bridge Mountain, The Watchman, and West Temple Formations as well as views into Zion Canyon. The NPS will be adding stone stairways and updating the trail path.
Scout Lookout maintenance details:
- Is scheduled on Wednesday, February 16.
- Involves a temporary closure of Angels Landing and the West Rim Trail from The Grotto to Scout Lookout.
According to the release. “The Angels Landing formation, downstream of Moonlight Buttress will be closed to all climbing activity on February 16. All climbing trips must be completed by Tuesday night, February 15. The Big Bend Parking will be closed and must be vehicle free the night of February 15. Any vehicles in the Big Bend parking lot at 7:00 am on Wednesday morning, February 16 will be towed.”
Scout Lookout is the spot before hikers get to the chains along the trail that leads to Angels Landing. The maintenance will remove waste from the bathroom there that serves visitors. Visitors should expect to see a helicopter moving materials between Scout Lookout and Big Bend.
Zion National Park advises visitors to plan ahead and prepare for hikes by checking current conditions on the park website and by using the NPS App.
