September 15, 2003—Canyonlands National Park

Canyonlands is not a park for the acrophobic. Although the road is, for the most part, mild with twisting turns and slow speed limits, the observation points of Islands in the Sky district are right out there on the edges, with no guard rails save for Grand View and Buck Canyon areas. Since we are in the shoulder fall season for park visitation, we also didn’t note any children; however, this park might be a parent’s worst nightmare. Here you don’t count the drop offs in hundreds of feet, but in thousands. On a clear day, the views would be absolutely spectacular, but unfortunately, this day we visit, there is a decided haze hanging everywhere. 

There are three distinct areas to Canyonlands but the vast majority of folks only visit the easily accessed Islands in the Sky district which is off Hwy. 191 to the north of Moab. Within this section there are a few observation areas, the visitor center, a small 12 site campground with no water and no hookups (not big rig friendly either), and 120 miles of hiking trails.

            Willow Flat campground

Marc and I hiked the short trail to observe what scientists think is a collapsed salt dome, called Upheaval Dome. The trail is rocky with one steep section that may take your breath away, but it’s not onerous. Views of the collapsed dome are captivating due to the interplay of the various colors, but from this section you don’t experience a particularly grand view of the park’s canyons. And without the hike, you will see nothing but the parking lot and rocky hills filled with pinion pine.

          Hike to Upheaval Dome                                              Upheaval Dome

                  View to the west

The first observation area you come to within the park is at Shafter Canyon. A dizzying switchback dirt road hugs the canyon walls on both sides—the Shafer Trail, which was first built to accommodate uranium ore trucks. These days it gets used by 4 x 4 vehicles and mountain bikes and is a major access point to connect with the park’s famous White Rim Trail road. The White Rim Trail circles the entire park for 100 miles, still hugging canyon drop offs in spots, but at one level lower than where we now stand. To be a four wheeler and have missed doing the White Rim Trail is like going to Paris and missed seeing the Eiffel Tower. You will note the White Rim Trail in many of our photos as that tiny, tiny dirt road zigzagging helter skelter.

                                                   Shaffer Trail road

      Schaffer Trail joins White Rim trail

Farther in to the park, headed for the Grand View observation area, you encounter more opportunities to pull over for the views. You enjoy views to the west with the tiny Green River flowing far beneath you, later down the road you enjoy views to the west with peeks at the green surrounding the Colorado River, and seeming to overlook one of the park’s other major districts, the Maze. I say seeming, because it’s all so vast, one is not quite certain exactly what you are observing except Nature at its most spectacular. Anyway you cut it, it’s a long, long ways down….

       Claudia at Orange Cliff overlook   

                                                    White Rim trail area