Road divot turns into a landslide as road washes away in Zion National Park

SPRINGDALE, Utah (ABC4) – A portion of the road in Zion National Park has been washed away after a small indent in the road turned into a massive landslide overnight.

Zion National Park said the landslide was 10 feet deep, 15 feet wide and 70 feet long and happened all within one night, between Monday and Tuesday.

“Sometimes geology happens fast,” Zion National Park officials wrote on social media.

Park officials blamed Utah’s record-breaking precipitation all winter, saying this hasn’t been the first geologic event the park has experienced so far this spring. In March, a hole formed on Kolob Canyons Road. Now, a portion of that road has slipped away.

The landslide was caused by a high amount of water from months of snow and rain in the Kolob Canyons District. The water began to move under the road, undercutting it until it collapsed into a depression before sliding down the hill.

“Just another reminder that the forces that made Zion are still working to shape and reshape its canyons event today,” said Zion National Park.

Crews from the Federal Highway Administration, Zion National Park maintenance and geologists have been working together to assess the road and come up with a plan to repair it.

For now, Zion National Park said most of the Kolob Canyons District is still accessible. The road is open as far as the South Fork picnic area, about three miles up Kolob Canyons Road. Hikers and bikers can access the road past the closure, but park officials said to do so at their own risk because of the road damage.