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Canyonlands NP
July
27
Sunday
 


Photos
 

 

 

Magda at the Dead Horse Point

We're entering Canyonlands

Magda rests a bit at the Murphy Point

One of the typical Island in the Sky's views

The Mesa Arch

 

City: Moab
Lodge: Motel6
Price: 54$+tax


Summary
  -Dead Horse Point SP
  -Canyonlands, Island in the Sky
   
   


 

Sunday, 27th July
Dead Horse Point SP
We come back to our usual donuts and orange juice and, leaving the motel, take advantage of the complimentary coffee. Today we'd like to spend the day at the Canyonlands NP. By the way, there is another park, a State Park, called Dead Horse Point SP. In terms of miles, the detour is quite short and in half an hour we reach the park's entrance where we pay the 7$ ticket. The visitor center is smallish but nice and a ranger informs us about what we can do. To tell the truth, there is just one walk along the park's rim. From here we can see the main park's view: a gooseneck that the Colorado River has dug during thousands years of erosion. The landscape is the same shown in many photos. After another short walk and some photo, we leave.
Canyonlands, Island in the Sky
While we're entering Canyonlands alert signs tell us that we should carry our own water since in the whole district there is just a standpipe at the visitor center (and here you can just drink, no way to fill tanks!). Fortunately it's at least possible to buy water at the visitor center. The park is divided in three districts, one over the other like steps. We're in the highest one, Island in the Sky. We stop as usual to chat a bit to rangers. Some trails are suggested to us, all pretty short and they underscore that a very hot day is awaiting us.
Our first choice is the Murphy Point Trail. The walk is pretty long (4.8 miles) and the views along the trail are nothing special. When we finally get to the Murphy Point itself we expect a breathtaking panorama. Instead, the canyonlands view is nice but not really moving (specially considering the effort needed to get there). We get back mumbling something about how this trail has disappointed us.
Since it's very hot, we decide to avoid other tough walks and we choose a short trail. We stop at the Grand View Point (very nice) and at some other view point. Then we hike till the Mesa Arch (probably the best thing of the day) and, at the end, we walk up to the Upheaval Dome (where we can see a crater made by a meteorite’s impact).
It's almost 2 p.m. and sun is shining. We decide to stop at a picnic area near the Upheaval Dome trail-head, one of the few shaded places in all the district.
We've seen many of the things we planned to see and the heat has really destroyed us. So we decide to leave the park.
Canyonlands was somewhat a delusion, but we know quite well that the true park's heart is the Needles district that we could admire far off in the distance from the Island in the Sky view points.
Today is probably the first day we really suffer the heat. The temperature is specially high, and there's not a shadow to be found. So we decide to relax a bit in the afternoon and rest up in our room till 6 p.m.
We plan to go out in the evening to take in the sunset at the Delicate Arch.

 

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FAQ

How many days should I spend for a visit to Canyonlands NP? (1 answer)

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Links
Canyonlands NP The official NPS site
Canyonlands Another site, very well done
Moab Information Site A great portal for Moab
Moab.net Another portal for Moab
Discover Moab Perhaps the best portal for Moab
Sunset Grill Restaurant A good restaurant in Moab