John Cletheroe's
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Canyonlands National Park, Utah
Location
Canyonlands National Park is located at the confluence of the Colorado River and the Green River in southeastern Utah. The Colorado River runs in roughly a southwesterly direction. The Green River flows roughly south. The actual confluence is very difficult to access and not visible from any of the main visitor areas of the park.
The Park is divided by the rivers into three distinct and completely separately accessed districts. There are no bridges across the rivers within the Park. It is probably not feasible to visit more than one district of the park on the same day.
Island In The Sky District
The Island In The Sky District of the park is in the north, accessed from Moab by taking US191 North and then Utah State Highway 313 West (there is a turnoff from Utah 313 to Dead Horse Point State Park). All roads to the main points of interest in this district are paved, however there are unpaved roads down into the canyon, including the Shafer Trail and the White Rim Road, which are only suitable for four-wheel drive vehicles.
There are some interesting stopping points along Utah 313, which climbs fairly steeply up from the US191/Moab valley.
Needles District
The Needles District of the park is in the southeast, accessed from Moab by taking US191 South and then Utah State Highway 211 West. There is a cut-through road through the Manti - La Sal National Forest west of Monticello from Utah 211 to Monticello. Utah 211 passes Newspaper Rock. All roads to the main points of interest in this district are paved; however there are also a number of unpaved roads leading into the backcountry.
Maze District
The Maze District of the park is in the west, accessed from Hanksville via a lengthy unpaved road. Because of the difficulty of access this part of the Park receives the least number of visitors.
Size
528 square miles. For comparison, the size of the English county of Berkshire is 485 square miles.
What to See and Do
Island In The Sky District
The Island In The Sky is a large plateau high above the rivers, almost separated from the "mainland" by a very narrow neck of land.
In the southern part of Island In The Sky there are various overlooks providing impressive views over a huge area, including not only the rivers but also the mountains in the distance. The White Rim forms a bench 1200 feet below the overlooks, with the rivers another 1000 feet below that.
The main feature of the northern part of Island In The Sky is the Upheaval Dome rock formation.
Needles District
At the Needles you are somewhat lower than at Island In The Sky or Dead Horse Point, through still well above the rivers. The needles themselves are pinnacle-shaped rock formations; there are also a number of natural arches here.
Maze District
We haven't visited the Maze District. It has a bewildering confusion of canyons and other rock formations.
General Comments
The soil at Canyonlands National Park has a cryptobiotic crust, which means that it contains many living organisms. To avoid damaging this soil you should be sure to keep strictly to the established trails in the Park.
This part of Utah is often extremely hot in summer. However, because of its higher altitude, the temperatures at Island In The Sky are usually slightly lower than in the valley.
Entrance Fee
Entrance fee for a normal car, including the driver and all passengers, for seven days, as at summer 1999: $10.
An entrance fee paid at one of this park's districts is valid for any of its other districts within its normal time limit, provided you retain your receipt.
The entrance fee for this park does NOT provide entrance to nearby Arches National Park or Dead Horse Point State Park.
Some Ideas for Places to Stay
In the Area
Utah
Colorado Plateau
Desert Southwest
Grand Circle
National Parks
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As with all the other pages on this personal web site, all the information on this page is solely the opinion of the author, who has no connection whatsoever with any of the companies and organisations mentioned other than as an actual or potential customer.
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Most recently modified 16-Aug-99; minor revisions 9-Jan-00