I didn’t know what to expect from Canyonlands, since I had only vaguely heard of it before this trip. Indeed, it’s one of the little-visited national parks of Utah, drawing about a quarter of Arches’ tourists, according to a ranger we spoke to. Canyonlands doesn’t have iconic places like Delicate Arch or Balancing Rock to hook people’s attention— but if you visit, you’ll wonder why people aren’t flocking here in droves.
 |
| Proof that Gary did actually come along with us! |
The area is divided into three main districts— we visited the Island in the Sky district, which begins with a high plateau covered in scrub and grass (it reminded me of Yellowstone), then narrows to a ribbon of land with canyons on three sides. We hiked a few trails that led us to the edges of the canyons, gaping at the geology that dropped down, layer after layer.
After a couple hikes and a ranger lecture about the geology of the place, we didn’t have time to make it down to the Needles district, which apparently has a lot of human historical sites as well as cool formations. You could easily spend two full days in this park without hiking that much, and could spend a week in the backcountry and still not see everything.
 |
| Beware the chipmunks, though! |
In short, Canyonlands is an overlooked wonder of Utah. If you’re ever planning a trip down there, don’t forget this park— it’s far less crowded than Arches, Bryce, or Zion, and just as stunning.
~~~
No comments:
Post a Comment