This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Boaters traveling to Lake Powell at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area the first month of 2015 will not be able to visit the popular Rainbow Bridge formation.
National Park Service officials announced Tuesday that the trail leading from the reservoir to Rainbow Bridge National Monument — which is within the national recreation area — will be closed throughout January.
Monsoon floods in September of 2013 damaged portions of the trail. Crews will begin work Jan. 5, 2015 to make repairs.
Visitors will not be able to access Rainbow Bridge — 290-feet tall and spanning 275 feet across the water — from the water until the trail work is completed.
Rainbow Bridge is one of the world's largest natural bridges and is considered sacred by some Native American tribes. Roughly 85,000 people visit Rainbow Bridge annually, the majority of them from the trail leading from Lake Powell.
Hikers who have obtained permits from the Navajo Parks and Recreation Department to hike from Navajo Mountain will be able to access the viewing area, but not the remaining trail going to Lake Powell.
Twitter: @BrettPrettyman