A rapidly expanding crack on the Royal Arches cliff in Yosemite National Park has led to the closure of several popular trails and climbing routes, park officials have announced. The crack, located on the western side of the cliff near the Super Slide climbing route, poses a risk of rockfall.
First discovered by a rock climber in 2023, the crack—named Super Natural—was initially about an inch wide but has since widened to approximately four inches. Jesse McGahey, a geologist and climbing ranger, described hearing the cliff 'cracking like a frozen lake that wasn’t consolidated.' He noted that the way pieces of rock were 'rattling down the crack without touching it' was highly unusual, adding that the park geologist had never observed such activity in 15 years.
In response, the National Park Service has temporarily closed the trail to the Super Slide, as well as routes including Serenity Crack/Sons of Yesterday, Peruvian Flake West, and the Rhombus Wall. The closure notice stated that the investigation 'revealed that this crack has partially detached a large pillar of rock, and that cracking was actively occurring.'
Yosemite experiences frequent rockfalls, with over 1,000 documented in the past 150 years. In 2024, there were 42 rockfalls, which the NPS described as 'a relatively quiet year.' However, rockfalls have caused at least 18 fatalities and more than 100 injuries since records began in 1857, including two deaths in 2022.
Park officials continue to monitor the crack closely and urge visitors to remain aware of their surroundings and report any rockfalls to rangers.
