Dave & Dru Canyonlands National Park
There are three sections to the park: the northern section (just north of Moab), the southern section (commonly known as Needles) and a small area to the west. We started in the northern section and then went to the Needles section. We did not go to the western area. They call this place canyonlands for a good reason. Everywhere you look there are canyons, yet there are times when you are driving along the mesa that you sense nothing but desert flatness. Then comes another turn, another dip, and you are back into canyonland. Below left looks east from the plateau towards the Rockies. If you look carefully you might be able to spot green slivers of the Colorado River as it winds from the center to the right edge. You might also spot the dirt road which winds along the edge of the lower mesa 1000 feet below (the brown area in the foreground). The road goes all of the way around the mesa and is a popular two-day drive. How do you get down there, you might ask? You take the scenic drive down shown on the right. It does require a four-wheel drive, so we were unable to make it. However, there are no posted speed limits.
On the way from Moab down to the Needles section of the park, you pass newspaper rock. A small segment of the rock is pictured at the right. It is one of the best examples of petroglyphs that we have seen. Unfortunately, it is not guarded, so it has suffered some bad vandalism over the years. (It's actually not in the park; it's just alongside the road en route to the park adjacent to a camping area.) Even with the thoughtless destruction, there are some wonderful examples, including several designs that we have not seen at other petroglyph sites.
The day we went to the Needles section was cloudy and rainy. That, coupled with still sore muscles, kept us pretty close to the car. Below left is a large rock formation. Below right is a silhoutte of some of the needles. The only way to really see them is to hike the trails into them. The brochure says the trails are "easy" to "moderate," but do require a lot of stepping up and down.
And just in case you thought I had lost my penchant for trees....
Go to Zion, Bryce, Natural Bridges & Hovenweep, Canyon de Chelly, Navajo Nat'l Monument, or Monument Valley
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