Canyonlands National Park
Located in southeastern Utah, Canyonlands National Park preserves a wilderness of rock at the heart of the Colorado Plateau. Over hundreds of millions of years, water and gravity have cut flat sedimentary rock into hundreds of canyons, mesas, buttes, fins, arches, and spires. Before the establishment of the national park in 1964, only Native Americans, cowboys, river explores, and prospectors dared to venture into this rugged corner of Utah. At the center of the park are two canyons carved by the Green and Colorado rivers which divides Canyonlands into different regions: Island in the Sky in the north, The Maze to the west, and The Needles to the east. Of the regions, only Island in the Sky and The Needles are accessible by car.
Island in the Sky District
Located about 31 miles from Moab, the Island in the Sky region of Canyonlands National Park is the most visited. The park is highlighted by a scenic road that runs the length of a broad mesa wedged between canyons formed by the Green and Colorado rivers. From the heights of Island in the Sky, the canyon views stretch for 100 miles in the distance and the rivers lie 2,000 feet below the rim.
The exposed rock in the canyons within the park tell a geological history of Earth. The rock at the bottom of the canyons was deposited during the Permian Period between 285 and 270 million years ago where rivers and coastal sand dunes formed this layer. The upper most layer of the park that guests stand on was deposited during the Jurassic Period between 188 and 184 million years ago when the region was a massive flood plain.
Below the west rim of the Island in the Sky mesa, the Green River has been carving a deep canyon for thousands of years on its way to converge with the Colorado River. The Green River and Orange Cliffs overlooks along the scenic road provide spectacular views of the canyon below. The western end of the scenic road terminates at a trailhead that takes you to an overlook of a unique geological feature known as the Upheaval Dome. Geologists are still debating the origins of Upheaval Dome, but there are two leading theories: upheaval of salt beds from ancient inland sea some 300 million years ago or a meteor impact about 200 million years ago.
The entrance to the park is along the eastern rim of the Island of the Sky mesa and you quickly get spectacular views at the Shafer Canyon overlook. Deep inside the canyon you can see the Colorado River snaking its way south where it will be joined by the Green River. Additional views from the top of the mesa are found at the Buck Canyon overlook which is further down the scenic road. A short hike from the road leads to Mesa Arch which offers spectacular views of the canyon below through its impressive stone span.
At the southern end of the Island in the Sky mesa and scenic road, is the Grand View Point Overlook. A two-mile hike from the overlook takes you along the eastern rim before finally reaching the southern-most point of Island of the Sky. The views from this point are spectacular with clear views of the two rivers meandering towards their confluence point to the south. From this vantage point, you can also see The Needles region of Canyonlands National Park about 40 miles to the south.
The Needles District
The Needles district of Canyonlands National Park lies about 65 miles south of Moab. The rock pinnacles banded in red and white are the dominant landform. They begin their lives as a checkboard system of fractures in the sandstone mesas. As they erode over time, spires of rock, called needles, are formed. The Needles district lies south of the confluence of the Colorado and Green rivers. Most of The Needles is considered backcountry and only accessible by hiking or off-road vehicle where permitted. There is, however, a short scenic road which offers guest some great views of the canyons and needles.
One of the first stops along the scenic drive is a stone storehouse or granary built by the ancient inhabitants to store food, most likely maze. Like many structures of the Pueblo people, it is constructed in a rock alcove to protect it from the elements. The Needles also has arches and a cool one is called Wooden Shoe Arch for its remarkable resemblance to its namesake. A large sandstone outcrop is called Elephant Hill because its northern face looks just like an elephant’s head and trunk!
One of the best places to view the needles along the scenic drive is from the Pothole Point trailhead. The trail actually takes you out over a large rock outcropping that is dotted with potholes that actually support mini-ecosystems. Following rains when the potholes fill with water, they support tiny organisms and snails that lay their eggs in the small pools. The park service requests that visitors do not walk in the potholes, wet or dry, to help protect these tiny creatures. Walking out over the rocks you get an unobstructed view of the needles in the distance, the canyon below, and the confluence of the Colorado and Green Rivers which is to the north towards the Island in the Sky district.
The drive to The Needles district along Utah Route 211 has some spectacular views and is a popular spot with outdoor enthusiast in its own right. Along the drive is an interesting archaeological site called Newspaper Rock which is a petroglyph panel which records approximately 2,000 years of human activity. In Navajo, the rock is called “Tse’ Hane” or “the rock that tells a story”. Scholars are uncertain as to whether the drawings are storytelling or just doodling. It is clear that the panel has had new drawings added to it over the centuries from the ancient indigenous people to the American pioneers.
Dead Horse Point State Park
Located just a few miles north of Canyonlands National Park – Island of the Sky region is Dead Horse Point State Park. This popular Utah state park was established in 1959 and has become a very popular off-roading and mountain bike destination. Just like Island in the Sky, Dead Horse Point sits atop the high mesa, but from this location only the Colorado River is visible in the canyon below. There are many who believe the canyon views from Dead Horse Point State Park are just as impressive, if not better, than the Grand Canyon.
The origins of the name Dead Horse Point are somewhat controversial, but one legend seems to be the most prominent. According to the legend, cowboys used to round up wild mustangs which roamed the mesa and herd them across the narrow neck of land on to the point. They would build crude fencing from branches and brush to create a corral with steep cliffs entrapping the wild horses. The cowboys would then choose the horses they wanted and for reasons unknown, left the others horses corralled on the waterless point. Others passing through the region discovered the remains and began calling it Dead Horse Point.
There are several nice hiking trails in Dead Horse Point State Park that are right off the scenic drive. Beginning at the Visitor Center, the Nature Trail is a nice paved interpretive walking trail that has views of the distant La Sal Mountains and the Potash Ponds below. Potash is produced from water-soluble salt, potassium chloride, by flooding ponds and letting the sun evaporate the water leaving behind the valuable salt which is a prized fertilizer.
At the end of the scenic road is the Dead Horse Point Overlook which has spectacular views of the canyon and Colorado River below. A 1.25-mile trail around the east and west rims of the point have great views of the canyon that stretches into the horizon as well as the Colorado River that winds through it. An overlook at the Neck is a great vantage point to see the Gooseneck curve of the Colorado River.
