Canyonlands National Park has several sections that are reachable only on foot or by jeep. There is only one section, Island in the Sky, that can be driven to on paved roads. The Island is well named, as it is an enormous, grass-covered mesa that extends for miles in all directions, and is bordered by sheer cliffs abutting the Colorado and Green rivers. The park road leads to many overlook sites, each with a very different view. Many require short hikes of about a mile to the canyon rim. A camera simply cannot do justice to the magnitude of the views. You have to be here to really appreciate it. In many ways, the park is reminiscent of the Grand Canyon, except on a much smaller scale. This is wide-open “big sky” country at its best.
From the mesa's rim, you can spot red rock spires, sculpted sandstone formations, and a jumble of fins and canyons known as “the maze”. The Colorado and Green rivers meander far below, and meet at their confluence within the park. Multiple layers of rock are evident on the cliffs.
Much rain had fallen in the weeks preceding our visit. The grasslands are lush and green, and the wildflowers are blooming. We timed our visit just right!
The last pictures are of an area known as the “Upheaval Dome”, which may be the impact crater of an enormous meteorite, or could be the result of the collapse of an underlying salt dome. In any event, the crater is more that 2 miles across, and very deep.
The area became a national park in 1964. Originally, it was occupied by Puebloans whose cliff dwelling ruins and petroglyphs are still evident today. Cattle ranchers came next.Then, it experienced a uranium boom in the 1950s, during which dirt roads were developed. Word of the beauty and magnificence of the area quickly spread, and legislation was eventually enacted to protect it as a national park.
Today was hazy, so the pictures are not all they could be. Tomorrow, we head for Bryce Canyon.
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