Category: desert

The best section of Canyonlands National Park for hikers is The Needles. No question.

…named after the red and white banded rock pinnacles which dominate it but various other forms of naturally sculptured rock like canyons, grabens, potholes, and a number of arches similar to the ones of the nearby Arches National Park can be found as well.

Unlike Arches National Park, however, where many arches are accessible by short to moderate hikes or even by car, most of the arches in the Needles district lie in backcountry canyons and take long hikes or four-wheel-drive trips to reach.

Canyonlands National Park – Wikipedia

Of 60mi (96km) of great trails, the most popular section of the Needles is Chesler Park, a lovely grassy valley surrounded by colourful sandstone spires.

larger image – flickr

I was lucky to get one of the 5 backcountry Chesler Park tent sites (CP5) and accessed it from the Elephant Hill trailhead.

NPS map

From there I dayhiked the astonishing Joint Trail. It’s a “mountain” that split leaving a fracture just wide enough for a hiker (sideways at some points). Is there no end of natural marvels in this part of the world?

The highlight for me personally was a late afternoon trail run to Druid Arch. Late, scrambling the steep slope up to the view point, I was blown away by the size and location of this wonderful mass of stone.

high resolution original

I got lost on the run back to my tent, arriving an hour after dark.

If I went back to the Needles, I would do Salt Creek from Cathedral Butte to Peekaboo via Angel Arch. Likely 3 days, 24.2m (39km), a wonderful canyon walk with permanent water.

I’d need a high clearance vehicle to get to the trailhead. Or would hire a shuttle vehicle in Moab.

Angel Arch – Bob’s Arches

photos from my 2007 hike – flickr

The signature photo of Island in the Sky is the view through Mesa Arch.

larger original

The Island in the Sky section of Canyonlands National Park could not be better named.

It’s a high Mesa at the junction of the Colorado and Green rivers.

Most of the longer hikes drop precipitously off the “island”. There are several to choose from: Gooseberry, Wilhite, Alcove Spring. Many hikers climb down quickly and are picked up by an off-road vehicle on the White Rim Road. If you do not have vehicle support (and it’s not too hot), you can switchback your way up top again, sometimes via a loop.

The Rangers when I was there recommended Murphy Basin, a 10mi (16km) lollypop loop with an optional sidetrip to Murphy Point. Non-stop fantastic vistas.

my view from Murphy Point

The best hike on Island in the Sky for me, however, is the Syncline Loop.

My favourite hike in the Island in the Sky section of Canyonlands National Park circles unique Upheaval Dome, the strangest and most controversial geological feature in the region.

To me, it looks like an ancient eroded meteorite crater. It’s huge, 6.2mi (10km) in diameter.

I circled it on the 8mi (12.8km) Syncline Loop trail, finishing with a side trip to the popular Upheaval Dome overlook. That’s a wonderful, challenging day hike. (Especially difficult after damage during the winter of 2006. Volunteers were making repairs when I was there.)

from NPS map

You might prefer the longer Alcove Spring / Syncline Loop 19.6mi (31.5km) which takes you to Aphrodite, Zeus and Moses spires. And returns via Upheaval Canyon.

This is dangerous territory. People get lost and die in Canyonlands National Park. I just read an account of a 62-yr-old man who was found curled up, dead under the only shade tree a short distance from his vehicle. Somehow he got confused and couldn’t find the car.

I don’t want to understate the risks while extolling the wonders of hiking there.

Routes are maked by stone cairns. Inevitably you will spend a lot of time backtracking to the last cairn, trying to find the correct route. I got particularly muddled on Syncline Loop.

Here’s the obligatory warning:

The park’s greatest danger is weather. Summer temperatures often exceed 100 ° F, but even during the spring and fall visitors should plan on drinking one gallon of water per day.

When hiking be aware that it can be easy to get lost in the twisting canyons, so let someone know where you are going and bring more food and water than you think you’ll need.

During storms avoid high open areas which can be prone to lightning strikes. In addition, be extremely cautious in narrow canyons as flash floods can occur with even just a small amount of precipitation.

If you are in a canyon and it begins to rain, look for higher ground immediately; if you can hear the sounds of floodwaters approaching or notice rising water around you it is already too late to seek safety.

Canyonlands National Park – WikiTravel

The most famous attraction in Arches National Park is Delicate Arch.

But the best hike, I feel, is Devil’s Garden – Primitive Loop. That’s 7.2mi (11.5km) plus extra sidetrips.

The feature attraction is possibly the longest and certainly the most “impossible” arch in the world.

It seems Landscape Arch could fall anytime. (Several pieces have dropped since 1991 and the trail under the arch has been closed.)

Anyone can make the easy day hike to walk to Landscape Arch and back. Confident hikers should continue at least as far as Double O Arch. (Some like the sidetrip to Dark Angel tower, some do not.)

And best of all is to add the Primitive Loop rather than backtrack.

larger map on Climb-Utah.com

It might take as long as 5hrs to do everything adding off-trail rock scrambles above some of the arches.

I returned via Primitive Loop. But reversing direction would have been even better, I think, saving the arches for last. Start at first light when animals are active and the trail still cool.

Primitive Loop is well named. I managed to get lost once or twice. It is challenging. And gorgeous. In some ways this is the best part of the walk.

Be sure to carry a map and desert survival gear. You don’t want to end up like Aron Ralston.

The excellent Utah.com site posted a video: Hike the Devil’s Garden.