4/22 Zion National Park - Weeping Rock

 One of the stops on the Zion National Park is Weeping Rock.  Water that falls as rain or snow on top of the mesa slowly moves through the sandstone until it hits a layer which is impermeable. At that point, it flows sideways until it finds another place to flow downward or it flows out of a cliff face.  This process can take months or even years, so Weeping Rock weeps this spring water almost always.  

It is only a short walk from the shuttle stop and parking lot, but unfortunately, it is almost entirely uphill!  Weeping Rock is the dark, cave-like area just to the right of the bottom of the waterfall in this photo. 

 

 

Getting closer!!! 

 

 

Today was a windy day, and occasionally, the wind would blow the falling water sideways!

This is the stream that the water falls into at the bottom of the waterfall.  Within only a few hundred feet, it travels under the roadway and empties into the Virgin River.

 

 

This is the sort of shallow "cave" where the water drips over the edge and seeps through the back wall.  

 

 

The water is not only dripping from the top of the "cave" but seeps through the nearby cliff face, resulting in plant growth.  There are also quite a few little springs along the trail, but I forgot to take some photos on my way down. 

The waterfall is really close to the cave area. 

When the wind blew, sometimes the water covered the entire face of the opening and got us all a bit wet, but the spray felt good!

 

 

Another view up the canyon from Weeping Rock.  

Only a few more days left here.  It has been such a pleasant place to stay because of the nice campground and the incredible views from everywhere.  I will be headed back to northern New Mexico and then Colorado on Tuesday, April 25th.