A Massive Rockfall at Yosemite's El Capitan Was Caught on Video
The rockslide led to some nearby road and trail closures.
Visiting national parks is a great way to connect with nature, but you sure need to be careful where you walk.
On Monday, video recordings from visitors to Yosemite National Park showed a massive rockfall hitting and crashing the side of El Capitan. The iconic granite rock formation is one of the park's main attractions, and it stands more than 3,000 feet high.
Apparently, there is one waterfall to blame. Yosemite National Park officials said that the rockfall originated from Horsetail Fall (famous for the rare "firefall" phenomenon on display this month), which is located off the side of El Capitan.
The rockfall left visitors startled, especially because of the incredibly loud noise. According to Twitter user James Piper, who uploaded one of the rockfall videos shared to social media, nobody was hurt.
According to the National Park Service website, some roads and areas are currently closed due to the rockslide. That includes the area from approximately El Capitan picnic area to El Capitan Crossover, on the north side of the Merced River. According to Sierra News, Northside Drive was closed for 24 hours as a precaution, but planned to reopen if no additional rockfalls occurred during that time. For more information on current conditions, you can visit this website.
Watch the video below:
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