By Steve Bergsman
National park enthusiasts can check off their lists a whole group of them in the desert Southwest. In relatively close proximity are the Grand Canyon in Arizona and Bryce, Zion, Arches and Canyonlands just north of the border in Utah. Of all these the one that is least visited is Canyonlands.
This park is interesting in that it most resembles the Grand Canyon in structure for obvious reasons — the Colorado River runs through it and over eons has carved out the canyons that we come to see.
There are other similarities, as well. The Grand Canyon is divided by the Colorado River into two sections, the North Rim and the South Rim. Most people visit the South Rim, which is all about the viewpoints that look down into the canyons. Canyonlands is the same. There are two separate areas for visitation, technically divided by the Colorado River. In the south, one can travel to the Needles/Maze area, and to the completely separate north is the Island in the Sky section of the park. Most people visit the easily accessible Island in the Sky, and here, too, it's really all about peering down into the canyons below
More than 30 years ago, when I was in graduate school at the University of Utah, I traveled to Canyonlands to hike the infamous labyrinth of slot canyons, which has come to be officially called the Maze. This time, now traveling with my wife, we opted for Island in the Sky. We took road 191 north out of Moab and drove past Arches National Park. We fully expected to see a big sign screaming "Turn here, turn here." Instead a little sign whispered "This way, this way."
At the sign's direction, we headed west through the break in the rock wall that had followed us since Moab. The road eventually twisted and turned, climbing all the time until we found ourselves at the top of an extensive mesa. We drove on until it ended abruptly to sheer drops of 1,000 feet or more. That's where we were heading — to the numerous scenic spots where we could look out and over the surrounding canyons.
They were deep below, wide and grand, while the views seemed to go on forever.
The Island in the Sky formation is essentially a stretch of land that ends in a triangle. To the west are the Green River-formed canyons, and to the east are the Colorado River-formed canyons. At the tip of the triangle is where the Green and Colorado rivers come together.
The high plateau is mostly grasslands, but the elevation rises to anywhere from 5,500 feet to more than 6,000 feet at the Grand View Point Overlook. As the elevation ascends, the grasslands devolve and the landscape is red desert spotted with juniper trees and other gnarly plants such as pinon pine.
The park's visitor center is quite sparse and not at all elaborate or historic like other national parks. But the rangers went out of their way to impart the information we needed and mapped out a perfect parkland trek for us.
We opted for the basic Island in the Sky journey, continually driving forward, stopping at the overlooks and hiking the short trails. The ranger said we would be out about three to four hours and we were. Some of the really strenuous hikes in the park descend precariously. The Murphy Loop trail drops 1,400 feet, while the Syncline Loop features boulder fields, switchbacks and a 1,300-foot elevation change. Even for the experienced hiker these are hard, full-day journeys.
Average day-trippers to Canyonlands will make two relatively short hikes. The easiest is the Mesa Arch trail, a loop that starts at the road and at midpoint puts them at the edge of a canyon. The reward is a horizontal arch that at first glance doesn't look like much, but once you get close enough to actually be under the arch you realize that's as far as you are going to proceed because you are at the edge of the ledge. We stepped back from the precipice, posed for a picture and then continued on for the rest of the loop — about a 30-minute walk.
The highlight for Island in the Sky day-trippers is the Upheaval Dome, which is actually a 1,500-foot-deep crater. According to one theory, the "dome" was formed by a meteor that crashed into Earth.
It's not just the geology that makes this stop interesting, however. It's also the best short hike in Island in the Sky. The first part is uphill over a ridge. The trail here is stair-stepped for the most part so that any level of hiker can make the climb. Eventually they'll get to a huge, rounded rock, which is First Overlook. Anyone not too tired at that point can continue on to Second Overlook, a rocky but fairly easy trail to another viewpoint. With that trail extension, the hike extends to two miles and takes about one hour.
This stop also boasts good ramadas and picnic benches for sitting, eating, drinking and re-energizing. The classic Canyonlands overlook is Grand View Point, where it's possible to see the meeting of the Green and Colorado rivers, but it's anticlimactic after the exhilarating walk to Upheaval Dome.
WHEN YOU GO
There are no accommodations other than camping at Canyonlands, but that's OK because it's just a short drive from Moab, Utah, which has a deserved reputation as the Disneyland for outdoor sports enthusiasts. You don't have to ride a mountain bike or wear hiking boots in Moab to be cool. Being there is enough. When I visit Moab I stay at the quirky Gonzo Inn, just off the town's main drag. While not upscale, a number of celebrities have stayed there: www.gonzoinn.com.
For more information: www.mps.gov/cany or www.discovermoab.com
Steve Bergsman is a freelance writer. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
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