To access Emerald Pools, start your hike at the Grotto (Shuttle Stop #6).
This does not affect other trailheads or the Zion Canyon Shuttle System. More
Weeping Rock Shuttle Bus Stop, Parking Area, and Trail Closed
Long-term monitoring of vegetation and other key resources gives managers early warning of change and potential problems.
NPS/Amy Washuta
To make sound management decisions, park managers need to know how and why natural systems change over time, and what amount of change is normal. National Park Service scientists monitor the "vital signs" of national park ecosystems—much like a physician measures a patient's heartbeat and blood pressure to determine well-being and help diagnose problems.
TheNorthern Colorado Plateau Network(NCPN), which is part of the National Park Service's Inventory & Monitoring Program, collects long-term data on a variety of natural resources. Ecologists then organize, analyze, and synthesize those data and provide the results to park staff. The information collected can provide early warning of ecosystem changes, allowing park managers to develop mitigation measures and reduce management costs.
At Zion National Park, the network monitors air quality, climate, invasive exotic plants, land surface, phenology, landbirds, landscape dynamics, uplands, wadeable streams, and water quality. Briefs and reports can be found at the network’s website, where you can also generate a species list for Zion National Park.
Locations:Arches National Park, Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, Colorado National Monument, Curecanti National Recreation Area, Dinosaur National Monument, Fossil Butte National Monument, Natural Bridges National Monument, Pipe Spring National Monument, Zion National Parkmore »
Northern Colorado Plateau Network’s long-term landbird monitoring program provides habitat-based updates for bird population status and trends in the parks in the Northern Colorado Plateau. These inform scientists and managers about changes in bird populations and about the health of the habitats they depend on. Learn more about which species were detected in the network parks for the first time and which landbird populations were increasing or declining between 2005 - 2024.
Locations:Arches National Park, Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, Colorado National Monument, Curecanti National Recreation Area, Dinosaur National Monument, Fossil Butte National Monument, Natural Bridges National Monument, Pipe Spring National Monument, Zion National Parkmore »
Because birds can be sensitive to habitat change, they are good indicators of ecosystem integrity. The Northern Colorado Plateau Network partners with the University of Delaware to assess breeding-bird species trends in three different habitats: low-elevation riparian, pinyon-juniper, and sage shrubland. Find out which species were increasing and declining at network parks as of 2020.
Locations:Arches National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, Dinosaur National Monument, Hovenweep National Monument, Timpanogos Cave National Monument, Zion National Parkmore »
Pesticides, antibiotics, and personal care products are all being found in streams and rivers. But would you expect to find them in a national park? On the northern Colorado Plateau, scientists found that even in isolated areas, these "contaminants of emerging concern" are not uncommon. Find out what we found where--and how you can help.
Locations:Arches National Park, Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, Cedar Breaks National Monument, Colorado National Monument, Curecanti National Recreation Area, Dinosaur National Monument, Fossil Butte National Monument, Golden Spike National Historical Park, Hovenweep National Monument, Natural Bridges National Monument, Pipe Spring National Monument, Timpanogos Cave National Monument, Zion National Parkmore »
Knowing which key natural resources are found in the national parks, and whether they're stable or changing, helps decisionmakers make sound choices. The Northern Colorado Plateau Network is building that knowledge. After more than ten years of monitoring, we've learned a lot about park ecosystems, how they're changing, and what they may look like in the days to come. Find out what we’ve learned and how it’s being used to help managers plan for the future.
Locations:Arches National Park, Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, Curecanti National Recreation Area, Dinosaur National Monument, Hovenweep National Monument, Timpanogos Cave National Monument, Zion National Parkmore »
Once a month, ecologists collect water samples at dozens of monitoring sites in and near ten National Park Service units across Utah and Colorado. This consistent, long-term monitoring helps alert managers to existing and potential problems. Find out the results for 2016-2018 in this brief from the Northern Colorado Plateau Network.
“Is it safe to go in the water?” It’s a pretty basic question—and a really important one. In Zion National Park, the Northern Colorado Plateau Network helps park managers know the answer. A report examined 10-year trends in water quality in the North Fork Virgin River, North Creek, and La Verkin Creek from 2006 to 2016--and the news was mostly good.
Locations:Arches National Park, Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, Curecanti National Recreation Area, Dinosaur National Monument, Zion National Parkmore »
As the northern Colorado Plateau heads into a hotter, drier future, there will be ecological winners and losers. Figuring out how different vegetation communities will fare is tricky. A recent study aimed to identify which vegetation communities might come out ahead, which might lag behind, and what might make the difference.
Locations:Arches National Park, Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, Colorado National Monument, Curecanti National Recreation Area, Dinosaur National Monument, Fossil Butte National Monument, Natural Bridges National Monument, Pipe Spring National Monument, Zion National Parkmore »
Because birds can be sensitive to habitat change, they are good indicators of ecosystem integrity. The Northern Colorado Plateau Network partners with the University of Delaware to assess breeding-bird species trends in three different habitats: low-elevation riparian, pinyon-juniper, and sage shrubland. Find out which species were increasing and declining at network parks as of 2019.
Locations:Arches National Park, Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, Colorado National Monument, Curecanti National Recreation Area, Dinosaur National Monument, Fossil Butte National Monument, Natural Bridges National Monument, Pipe Spring National Monument, Zion National Parkmore »
Because birds can be sensitive to habitat change, they are good indicators of ecosystem integrity. The Northern Colorado Plateau Network partners with the University of Delaware to assess breeding-bird species trends in three different habitats: low-elevation riparian, pinyon-juniper, and sage shrubland. Find out which species were increasing and declining at network parks as of 2018.
Invasive exotic plants are one of the most significant threats to natural resources in the national parks today. To provide early warning of weed invasions, the Northern Colorado Plateau Network monitors target plants in park areas where they are likely to first establish: along roads, trails, and waterways. Find out what we learned at Zion National Park in 2018.
Zion National Park
1 Zion Park Blvd.
Springdale,
UT
84767
Phone:
435-772-3256
If you have questions, please email zion_park_information@nps.gov.
Listen to recorded information by calling anytime 24 hours a day.
Rangers answer phone calls from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. MT, but a ranger may not answer if they are already speaking with someone else.