Canyonlands National Park

(Clicking on the pictures should open them larger in a new window.)

Monday, October 21 2019

Canyonlands National Park (Island in the Sky)

This park was established in 1964 and preserves over 337.000 acres of a colorful landscape of sedimentary sandstones eroded into countless canyons, mesas and buttes by the Colorado River and its tributaries. The Colorado and Green rivers divide the park into four districts: the Island in the Sky, the Needles, the Maze and the rivers themselves.

We visited the Island in the Sky. I have not added a lot of descriptions or comments to the pictures below. There is not a lot I can add to the beauty we saw. The pictures do not even begin to do justice to the views but clicking and enlarging them will help.

We are so glad five years ago we purchased a Golden Pass .
At the time it was only $10 but after seeing the prices today
even at $80 it would be a good deal.

Taken across from the visitor center.

Shaffer Canyon Overlook 

In between overlooks.

Then around a corner came a school bus. I barely had time
to get the camera up. Now this is a field trip!

We turned down the road leading to Whale Rock and
Upheaval Dome. We turned a corner and I snapped this
picture I just knew it had to be the Whale Rock.

We had planned on eating the sandwiches we had packed at Upheavel Dome, it showed a picnic area at the stop, but it seems everyone had the same idea and there was no place to park. So we drove back to the parking for Whale Rock and ate there.

Driving back to the main road

we made a couple of stops to take

these pictures of the views in the distance.

Green River Overlook. Elevation 6000 feet
The Green River can be seen in the middle of this picture.

The White Rim Road can be seen in the distance.
We talked about how great it would be to drive this road.
It is a 100 miles and it is recommended
you take two days to drive it. 

We could see a vehicle on the road.

Looks like there is a castle in the sky

and this guy is pointing it out just in case we missed it.

There is beauty every where you look it is not just about the
canyons, mesa, the buttes, and the mountains in the distance.

It is about looking across fields of golden grass
and seeing the vastness of the this place against the blue sky.

The green the grey all add their beautify to this wondrous place.

Even the trees no longer green but grey in death add beauty.

Buck Canyon Overlook.

The walkway to the Buck Canyon Overlook.

Grand View Point

It is hard to believe that water and gravity

have carved this into the landscape before us.

Views are never ending.

Having seen what we had planned we are now  headed 

back towards the entrance to the park.

There are waves in the  rocks.

The road stretches ahead as we head back on UT-313.

The views are just as

fantastic

the second time around.

Still balancing.
Reminds me of balancing a book on your head for good posture.

We have turned back on US-191 towards Moab.

Looking at the large rock in the upper left.
I found it interesting how it balanced itself in that place.

We ate an early dinner at the Moab Brewery.
I even had a beer. Okay, for those that know me, I did not drink a whole
beer. Tom made the sacrifice and finished mine.

Going North on US-191 we crossover the Colorado River.

The Arches National Park is just ahead.
It is later in the day but we  have decide to drive into Arches
National Park. At this point we are thinking it will be a
short visit and we will come back tomorrow in the afternoon..

We had a wonderful morning and early afternoon driving around in The Island in the Sky section of Canyonlands National Park. Every where we looked was a feast for our eyes. We certainly did not see everything there is to see but we left satisfied with what we had seen. The hope would be to come back and spend time at The Needles and the wish list would include a ride on the White Rim Road.

"We have not inherited the earth from our fathers.

We are borrowing it from our children."

~David Brower

We have enjoyed our time in this part of Utah and it is time for us to move on.

Today we move further west and surprisingly north. 

We are glad you stopped in for a visit.

If you have time to leave a comment we would enjoy hearing from you.