Island in the Sky

 

The majority of people who come to Moab are here to visit Arches National Park. But there is another national park right here, just across from Arches - Canyonlands National Park. It is Utah's largest national park, a huge area with different levels of accessibility, and has three regions: the Maze, Island in the Sky, and the Neddles. The Maze is the most remote area that so far I have never visited, but we've been to both Island in the Sky and the Needles several times. Today I'm taking you to Island in the Sky.

As the name implies, this region is located high up on a mesa. It takes about 45 to 60 minutes to drive up here from Moab. Since Arches has become almost overcrowded with visitors, Island in the Sky has grown in popularity. There were more visitors than we had ever seen before, but it was far from crowded.

You can drive along almost the entire length of the mesa without getting out of the car, but getting out and doing a couple hikes reveals the beauty and magnificence of this park. Just a very short hike from the road and there are the most amazing views.

Everywhere there are these stunning views of the canyons below - hence the name. Here is where the Colorado River and the Green River have carved this narrow "peninsula in the sky" before they merge a little bit further south and continue as the Colorado River.

Of course, the shadow picture...

Canyonlands - just like Arches - has a high number of crooked and/or dead trees.

Look at these canyons! Isn't it amazing what water can do over millions of years?

I didn't mention trees, did I?

The following photo is my favorite of all the pictures I took on this elevated island. Please note that it is NOT a tree! More like a bad hair day.

Grand Point View is at the end of the road and offers lovely hikes. We did a shorter hike that offered more stunning views.

Did I mention trees?

A dirt road goes around the entire Island in the Sky, the White Rim Road. It's only passable for 4-wheel drive; the drive takes about two days and you can stay overnight in a few very primitive camping spots. I think it would be a great adventure. You can see the road as a faint line in the following photo.

I love how ragged the cliffs of the canyons are. Fascinating. This is stuff I find highly attractive.

Good tourists that we are, we had to take a selfie. Of course I always have Nicole's Friday Face Off in my mind when we take pictures like that. In the background you can see the La Sal Mountains.

Back at the parking lot we enjoyed my friends, the ravens. They are so entertaining and I'm convinced that they have a real sense of humor.

Oh look! A dead tree!

One more look over the canyons towards the Green River.

Our next hike was up to the overlooks of Upheaval Dome. It was quite steep in places, but the trail was lovely.

The view of the eroded crater was interesting; the geology is fascinating (I wish I was more knowledgeable about it).

So far we had mainly looked to the West and the South, but now on our way back we had a beautiful clear view to the East with the La Sal Mountains on the horizon. Oh, and a dead tree smack in the center!

The most popular spot is Mesa Arch, very close to the entrance of the park. This is only a short hike and we only did it because there was one free spot in the parking lot, otherwise we would have avoided it. I wonder whether that would have been the better decision.

Years ago we had seen the sunrise here for which it is most popular. Even for that favored time, it wasn't crowded back then. This time - not so much.

Darn those cell phones! Everybody had to take a selfie with the arch in the background. And not just one, no, at least five or six, if not even more. I do understand taking a selfie, after all, we do that, too, but does it have to be an entire series of them when there are so many other people waiting for their turn or to just enjoy the view? None of them even bothered to look at the view. It was all about the selfie.

There was a very short window - a couple seconds - when we could enjoy this truly marvellous view. Isn't it stunning?

One last view from the side of the road towards the La Sal Mountains on our way out of the park.