Canyonlands National Park

Highlights

Slideshow

Trip Journal

I visited two of the four districts of Canyonlands - Island In The Sky and The Needles districs. The Maze and rivers are quite difficult to reach requiring 4-wheel drive and skilled driver which I am not.

Island In The Sky: For the Island In The Sky district, the main purpose of the visit was to photograph Mesa Arch at dawn. As I was driving in darkness without any car on the road to the park, I was wondering whether I was crazy. But as I made it to the trailhead, there were already four other vehicles there, lending credence to my sanity or at least there were crazier people! The trail to Mesa Arch was relatively short at .5 mile loop. However, in darkness it would be necessary to bring appropriate lighting to avoid stumbling on rocks and uneven surface. It is vital to arrive early to get scout for and get a decent spot. It would probably require a few trips at dawn to decide where best to photograph from, and what kind of lens would be best. It's safe to leave telephoto lenses home since the best views require wide angle lens. Some people even shot with fisheye lenses. For dramatic shots, before dawn to an hour after sunrise might be best. When I was there, there was a model shoot for some outdoor magazine. Without the right equipment, position and experience, I was not able to capture the best shot of the male model on the arch.

Since I've visited the Island In The Sky district previously and was not particularly capable of capturing the immense landscape, I headed back to Arches and only captured a few landscape shots along the way.

The Needles District: Visiting the Needles District was really an afterthought of a visit to Newspaper Rock. However, as I arrived at the park and checked out the Squaw Flat campground, I loved the relaxed atmosphere, the grandeur of surrounding buttes and the cleanliness of the campground that I decided to stay a day. Only later that I found out I was lucky to find a campsite. After driving the scenic park roads, I settled to check out the Needles up close and ventured on the Elephant Hill Road. As it turned out, the first few miles of the road leading to the Elephant Hill trailhead was easy and well maintained. Hiking this trail was a bit difficult with steep climb sections. Several hikers along the way warned me of not venturing in too late and bringing adequate lights. Thanks to those warnings, I was a bit more cautious with managing time and distance. I still managed to reach the needles just before sunset and got back to my car before darkness fell.

The following day, I stopped by Cave Spring on the way out of the park. It's more historical than picturesque, with both cowboys and ancestral Indians took advantage of the year round water source and made the alcoves their temporary residence.

In the previous trip to Canyonlands, I drove to more overlooks in the Island In The Sky such as Grand View, and also hiked the Indian granaries trail. Photos from previous trips to Canyonlands

Getting There

The Island In The Sky District is easily reachable on paved road. It's within close proximity of Arches National Park and Moab.

The Needles District can be reached easily as well, but out of the way - probably an hour drive from Moab. Without any iconic features, the park district is not very popular. However, those who enjoy hiking and like solitude really like this place. Some would come and stay for a week at a time. The road to the park in the last section is quite picturesque as it traverses the Indian Creek Recreation Area.

Additional Considerations

Camping: Camping is the only option in the park. There is a private facility just outside of the park that offers camping, cabins and even gas. Nearest lodging would be in Moab or Montecillo. It probably makes more sense to dedicate at least 2 days at the park to hike around. Just driving to various overlooks does not offer impressive views.

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