CANYONLANDS NATIONAL PARK, UTAH
I absolutely loved this hike!
The Chesler Park Loop meanders through the Needles District on the southeast side of Canyonlands National Park. The trail runs over slickrocks, across open grassy fields surrounded by colorful rock formations, and through mazes of rock slits. I loved the variety of scenery throughout the park. Plus, the sky was perfect that day - deep blue, sprinkled with white fluffy clouds, plus a storm cloud cameo. Wait until you see these pics!
The Chesler Park Loop meanders through the Needles District on the southeast side of Canyonlands National Park. The trail runs over slickrocks, across open g
The entrance to the park is a 1.75 hour drive (80 miles) from Moab, much further than I anticipated. Plus, I managed to add 30 minutes to that time by forgetting to fuel up when I left Moab. And trust me, there is nothing out there, so I swung down to Monticello for gas and then back to the park.
Even though the day started much later than I like, it was incredible. I started the hike with some moody clouds, which added a little flavor to these pics.
Something about these next two pics looked so cool to me. Nothing like a couple dead tree pics. :)
A little slot canyon to mix things up ...
Here is the view a couple miles in, from a point called Elephant Hill. From here, you hike out and down into those canyons.
I loved these mushroom shaped formations.
And now we are getting deep into the needles. It was unbelievably beautiful.
At this point, I was about 4-5 miles into the hike. I was contemplating how grateful I am to have my health and the physical ability to do these kinds of hikes. Helicopters aside, how else would you ever have the opportunity to experience this kind of beauty?
At that exact moment, the trail opens up to this ...
A road.
I could have just driven here. LOL!
I literally laughed out loud at the irony. On the bright side, I guess this means I can come back someday when I don't have good knees anymore and can still appreciate the beauty. :)
From there, I hiked across a huge, flat, open field. It was so pretty with the rock formations encircling the area. Also, the photo doesn't quite capture it, but the grass had a blue tint to it, a shade I don't normally see on my hikes, providing a lovely contrast with the rocks. I suppose in these pictures, nothing looks blue compared to that sky!
And here are some other incredible shots from the day. Just loved this hike!
Total miles = exactly 12
Total elevation gain = 1,870'
Newspaper Rock
On the way out of the park on my drive back to Moab, I stopped at this little roadside spot in the park called "Newspaper Rock," a petroglyph panel that records roughly 2,000 years of human activity, from sometime BC until about 1300 AD. Historians believe Utes, Navajos, and Europeans all contributed to the etchings.
A sign posted by the National Park Service admits that historians don't know if the etchings represent storytelling, doodling, hunting magic, clan symbols, or ancient graffiti. My money is still on graffiti.
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