A newly discovered crack near Yosemite’s Royal Arches cliff has forced park officials to take swift action, closing sections of the park as a precaution against potential rockfall. The crack, which has partially detached a large pillar of rock near the popular Super Slide climbing route, is actively shifting—an unsettling sign that the rock could break away at any moment.
A Growing Threat Above Yosemite Valley
The discovery was made last week when climbers scaling the cliffside noticed the new fracture. Concerned by the potential danger, park officials brought in a geologist and climbing ranger to investigate. What they found was both unprecedented and alarming.
“The following week, a climbing ranger and a geologist observed it firsthand, and they could hear it cracking like a frozen lake that wasn’t consolidated,” explained Jesse McGahey, Supervisory Park Ranger at Yosemite National Park. “And there were pieces of rock rattling down the crack without touching it. The park geologist said they’d never seen anything like this in 15 years.”
Observations over a seven-day period revealed that the crack had shifted by about an inch, but what that means in the long run is still uncertain. It could be a sign of an imminent collapse or a slow-moving shift that takes years to play out.
Rockfall Risk and Yosemite’s Ever-Changing Landscape
Rockfalls are nothing new to Yosemite Valley. The park’s iconic granite cliffs were carved by glaciers thousands of years ago, creating towering formations that continue to evolve. However, for climbers and hikers, the unpredictable nature of these shifts makes for a dangerous reality.
According to the National Park Service (NPS), rockfalls can be triggered by several factors, including water infiltration, ice formation, earthquakes, and even plant growth. One of the most powerful mechanisms is known as frost wedging, where water seeps into cracks, freezes, and expands, gradually prying rock away from the cliff face.
This same process has sculpted some of the world’s most striking landscapes, including Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah, famous for its towering hoodoos—natural rock spires formed through the relentless cycle of freezing and thawing.
Yosemite’s Closures: What Visitors Need to Know
In response to the newly discovered crack, park officials have closed affected areas as of August 30 and will maintain restrictions until further notice. While Yosemite is no stranger to rockfalls, the active movement of this particular crack makes it an unpredictable threat. Until experts gain a clearer understanding of the situation, sections of trails and climbing routes will remain off-limits.
For visitors and climbers, this serves as a stark reminder that Yosemite’s beauty comes with inherent risks. While the towering cliffs and breathtaking views make it one of the world’s most beloved climbing destinations, nature is constantly at work, reshaping the landscape—sometimes in ways that demand extra caution.
The whole colonizing Mars thing is just offensive. It’s too hard to protect the fabulously diverse jewel that is Planet Earth, so let’s spend billions to colonize an airless rock.
nice information and good article thank you