Hiker in Zion National Park dies, possible fall

A hiker was found dead at Zion National Park early Sunday morning.

Authorities received a call reporting a possible fall of a hiker on the Canyon Overlook Trail at 7:06 a.m., Utah’s Washington County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.

Zion National Park received the report of the death at 7:15 a.m., and emergency medical services from Hurricane Valley Fire and Rescue were first on the scene, the park said. The team pronounced the 37-year-old man dead around 7:40 a.m.

The cause of the man’s death is under investigation by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, it said. The man’s remains were transferred to the Washington County medical examiner for further examination, according to the park.

The Canyon Overlook Trail was temporarily closed Sunday for recovery operations but has since reopened, according to Zion National Park.

The trail is described on the park’s website as a moderate, 1-mile trail. It begins with a “a series of sandstone steps with a metal handrail leading visitors over rocky terrain above a dark slot canyon.”

The trail eventually opens up to a fenced cliff edge facing the main Zion Canyon, the website said.

Sunday’s emergency response included more than 30 people from Zion’s search and rescue team, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and Hurricane Valley Fire and Rescue.

Contact Katie Futterman at kfutterman@reviewjournal.com. Follow @ktfutts on X and @katiefuterman.bsky.social. Contact Taylor Lane at tlane@reviewjournal.com.