Today by the Numbers:
Where Canyonlands NP is on list of largest to smallest NPs: 23
Elevation of the Island in the Sky plateau: ~6,000 feet above sea level
Drop off to plateau below: 1,300 feet
Canyonlands National Park
Today was more relaxed especially since we didn’t have the stress of a long drive or a broken Jeep. We decided to go visit Canyonlands National Park as it doesn’t require reservations. The park is rather remote so the drive out to the entrance is about an hour from camp. It has several regions with separate entrances. It can take over four hours to reach some parts of the park! It reminded us of how large Glacier NP is and the driving we had to do there to get to different parts of the park. As large as it seems and the vastness of the vistas we saw today, Canyonlands is still only the 23rd largest national park (smaller than Yosemite at #16). Just the same, “vastness” was the lasting impression of the day.
After a stop at the Island in the Sky Visitor’s Center to learn a bit about the park and buy a few stickers (gotta get those), we headed on to Mesa Arch. The Island in the Sky portion of the park is an elevated plateau that sits above the surrounding area at about 1,300 feet higher with sheer drop-offs on all sides. The Mesa Arch is a short 0.9 mile loop walk from the road and offers the opportunity to get close the arch and see the sheer drop just behind it.
On the short hike, we saw several wildflowers and plants, many of which had interpretive signs allowing us to learn a bit about the area. Below is a picture of the Two-needle Pinyon which is one of the larger trees that grows in the region. Trivia for Today: What did the Navajo use the sap from this tree for? Answer at the end of the blog with more interesting info on the Two-needle Pinyon.
After leaving Mesa Arch, we proceeded to the Grand View Point Overlook which is at the southernmost portion of the Island in the Sky “island” and offers incredible views of the plateaus and canyons below.
Tomorrow we will take the Jeep on an off-road drive in the area near Canyonlands. After all, when in Moab with a Jeep, off roading is a must!
Trivia Answer: The Navajo used the sap of the Two-needle Pinyon to mend pottery, for waterproofing, and in a salve for wounds.
After posting this blog entry we decided to enjoy some port while sitting at a camp fire and wanted to share that with all of you…
