Canyonlands National Park

June 19, 2024 - Reading time: 12 minutes

The 2:00 a.m. bedtime from stargazing the night before required a morning sleep in

before heading 30 miles south of Moab to Canyonlands.  We were blown away by this park!  I never knew another park existed that rivals the majesty of the Grand Canyon, but this one did for sure.

Above: The darker vertical formations in the middle of the canyon are known as "needles."

Because it was already 11:30 with the hottest part of the day in our sights, we opted to start with the longest hike first.  Grand View Point was 2 miles round trip and relatively easy with mostly flat rock beds, cut stairs, and desert scrub to navigate.  The path itself was less obvious, so we were grateful for the stacked stone markers to guide us (below).

We stopped several times along the trail to take in the sweeping canyon vistas and rock formations below known as needles for their narrow spire shapes.  My brother scaled a vertical rocky outcrop at the very end of the mesa point to take in the 360° view of canyons, needle spires and two different rivers far below on the left and right off the point.  Having played my “risk it” card yesterday, today was his turn.  Not to mention the wind gusts were no joke at our elevation on this particular day and though I knew my feet were on solid ground, I was unsettled by the thought of being too close to any edges.  He descended safely several minutes later and it made my heart smile to see him so pumped. 

Above: Without a raindrop in sight, on a beautiful blue sky of a day, a rainbow appeared above my brother as he climbed and descended the rocks for a panoramic view of the point.  It was wild! 

The AC in the car felt great after that hike so we drove the length of the park’s main road to enjoy many of the scenic pullover spots. To further cool off, we took in an air conditioned 20 minute documentary about the park in the NPS Visitors Center.  

Above: With a permit, 4x4 vehicles may travel the dirt roads that criss-cross into the canyons.

Then it was back to the trails.  We hiked to Mesa Arch and it was stunning! This entire area is approximately 6,000 feet above sea level with canyon wall cliffs that drop straight down to the Colorado and Green Rivers below.  The photos won’t do it justice.

Above: Mesa Arch

We capped off the day with a dip in the pool followed by a wood fired pizza and glass of Chianti at a cute little Italian restaurant back in Moab.