Travels of Sheila & Ted Summer of 2014: Canyonland

We relocated to Monticello so we could see the southern section on Canyonlands. I had pretty much decided that we didn't want to make the thirty-four mile trip to the park from US 191 since we had done it before but someone in the campground convinced Ted we should go. It was about fifteen miles from the campground to the turn off and another fifteen to twenty inside the park for a total of over seventy miles. The first section of road to reach the park was straight, flat road through sagebrush and yellow flowering saltbush. After some time the road descended into narrow Indian Creek Canyon. This area was lush and beautiful with tall cottonwoods making a tent over the road. We stopped briefly to view Newspaper Rocks, petroglyphs dating back as long as three thousand years.

Starting into Canyonlands South

Cottonwoods and Cliffs

After awhile the canyon opened and we were among tall red rock cliffs. This area had irrigation equipment and was fenced in for cattle. We stopped at one parking area and there were people preparing to climb. On the way back we stopped again and they were just finishing up. It would have been fun to watch them. My cousin's son and wife do a lot of climbing. I would rather watch from the ground.

Once in the park, we stopped at the visitors center and looked at their small exhibit. We decided to drive in as far as you could go and work our way back to the beginning. We got out at Big Spring Canyon Overlook and walked out a ways. We could see Junction Butte and Grand Point View Overlook on Island in the Sky where we had been earlier this week. In order to see the confluence of the Green and Colorado Rivers, you have to hike at least five miles one way and in order to get close to the Needles, it is at least an eight mile hike round trip. Neither of us were up for that so we started back and took the three mile narrow, winding, switchback, dirt road to Elephant Hill hoping to get better views of the Needles, a tall, thin, striped group of formations. We could get a little closer view of them but when we reached the end of the two-wheel drive dirt road, you had to climb quite high in order to get a view.

Grand Point View Overlook in the Background

Big Spring Canyon with White Caps

Great Pose

On the Edge

The Needles

Difficult to Get a Good Photo of the Needles

2WD Road into Elephant Hill

Most of the Needles section of park is made up of four-wheel drive trails and not accessible unless you are a distance hiker. There was a Jeep Grand Cherokee that started up the four-wheel drive trail while we were looking around the parking area. It only went up a short way before it backed back down. We walked up around the corner of the road and could see why. It is evidently one of the most technical roads in the whole park and only for the most experienced drivers.

The Start of the 4WD Trail

A Short Distance Up Discourages Even 4WDs

Parking Lot for 2WDs

We drove back and checked out the campgrounds. The smaller ones had some sites that tucked in under the overhangs of rock which would give them shade but none would have fit our needs. The other campground had many sites that we could have fit into but it is a long way to drive for no facilities and all were taken anyway. We drove from there to the Cave Spring area where we sat in our car and ate lunch. We took the six tenths of a mile hike there which passes under several overhanging rock structures. In one was the remains of an outdoor cowboy camp which was used from the late 1800s until 1975 when cattle ranching was discontinued inside Canyonlands National Park. Numerous original items left by the cowboys still remain. The camp was established at Cave Spring because of the reliable source of water.

Shade for this Campsite

Wooden Shoe Arch

Big Overhangs Were Cool

Hitching Post and Fence at Cowboy Camp

Original Equipment Left Behind

Continuing Up the Trail

Further along the cliff, soot blackened ceilings, handprints, painted figures and grinding depressions on boulders indicate that earlier people were also attracted to the precious resource of water. The ancient Puebloans used the area seasonally when crops could be grown in the area and left in times of drought. The trail continued around the cliff until we had to climb a ladder to a higher level. Another short section of trail led to another ladder that took us up onto the slickrock. Cairns showed us the way up to where we had some great views. I thought that the kids would have had fun playing dot-to-dot with the cairns which we followed around until we returned to a path leading us back to the car. I must say that the flowers were once again stunning with purples and yellows dominating.

2nd Ladder

Petrified Sand Dune?

Cactus

Cairns Marked the Trail Across the Slickrock

Drop Offs Along the Way

Kayaks Visible in the Parking Lot

Layering

Flowers Added Color

Great Landscaping

Once done with the lovely hike, we left the park behind. Instead of going back to US 191 like we had come in, we drove out as far as the Harts Draw Road which winds up into the Abajo Mountains through the Manti-LaSal National Forest. Not as long but just as beautiful as the road we took up through the La Sal Mountains, we had spectacular views back toward Canyonlands as well as north to the La Sal Mountains. These mountains are not as high as the La Sals but had beautiful patches of golden aspens on their higher slopes. The road was a much shorter distance than the way we had driven to Canyonlands and came out on US 191 just south of Monticello within a mile of our campground. It was another beautiful day in red rock country.