Mesa Arch

Returns to Carson's Travels Home Page Places Visited View Our Photo Gallery Map of Trip How to Contact Us

CANYONLANDS NATIONAL PARK

ISLAND IN THE SKY

 

Canyonlands National Park is divided into 3 very different districts: Island in the Sky in the north, The Needles in the east, and The Maze in the west. The Island in the Sky area is 32 miles from Moab. Though close to Arches National Park, it has very different geological features. The Colorado and Green Rivers cut a path through the area and form the boundaries between the districts. Hiking trails, longer and more primitive than in Arches NP, lead to amazing vistas of the canyons in the park.

TO SEE A FULL SIZE PICTURE, CLICK ON THE PHOTO

Entering Canyonlands
Shafer Canyon Overlook
Shafer Canyon
A great viewpoint
Shafer Trail Jeep Road
Jeep Trail through Shafer Canyon
Trail to Upheaval Dome
Steps lead up the trail
We follow cairns over rock faces
Cairns mark the "trail"
Upheaval Dome - 1500 ft. deep crater. Geologists are not sure what created the dome - some think a meteor hit.
Billie and Barb enjoy the view
A Pothole collects water
Panoramic shot of Upheaval Dome
A Lizard shares the trail
Green River Overlook - Elevation 6000 Ft.
The Green River cuts through the canyon. The Green River divides the Island in the Sky district from the Maze district.
Mesa Arch - a 1/2 mile loop trail leads to the most scenic arch in Island in the Sky.
View through Mesa Arch
Formations beyond Mesa Arch
The Hikers
Grand View Point Trail - a 2 mile round trip hike along the rim of the canyon to the end of the Island in the Sky mesa.
View from Grand View Point Trail
Barb and Fred enjoy the view
Billie and Kenny on Grand View Point Trail
Fred admires the view
The Merrimac and Monitor Buttes - named after the Civil War ironclad ships which they resemble.


Home Locations Visited Photos Map Contact Us