Backpacking in Canyonlands National Park is a surreal adventure for someone used to hiking in and around trees during backpacking trips. I had only been to the desert on a few other occasions but this was the first backpacking trip. Luckily I had someone with me knowledgeable in the area. Canyonlands is a unique park made of of three very distinct regions divided by the meeting of the Colorado and Green Rivers. Island in the Sky which is to the north and located between the rivers boasts expansive views of the La Sal, Abajos and Henry Mountains to the east, south and southeast. The Maze district, located to the west of the Green River boasts itself as a 30-square mile region of sandstone puzzle. The Needles, located to the east of the Colorado River, contains many stunning rock formations such as Druid Arch, the needles themselves and canyons to traverse. We only had time to explore the Needles district on this backpacking trip.
Backpacking is nothing new for us, I've hiked 1200 miles of the Appalachian Trail and my partner has been hiking for more years then me, likely surpasing my miles only by time. Since I will be going back again this year to finish the Appalachian Trail and my partner to hike it for the first time we needed to test out some gear (and ourselves). And while I have hiked through drought, high heat and long miles, this trip took the cake. The scenery is simply stunning. There really is no way to describe to someone what to expect when hiking out in narrow slots, canyons, and up over time worn red rock. It really is an experience worth going out and experiencing. But for someone like myself, used to hiking in and among trees, I wasn't used to the early spring sun beating down on me. I wasn't used to the nights and mornings being quite cold (from my point of view) then heating up so quickly.
I'm used to seeing, and hearing wildlife in the woods but with no woods there appeared to be nothing to see or hear. The wildlife seemed non-existent but after spending several days out in various areas of the park, I began noticing more then just the small lizards and junipers. For some reason the lizards were quite fascinating to me. The park does contain some birds other then ravens, there was evidence of mouse, rabbit and other small animal tracks and of course the lizards. Canyonlands also boasts some cryptobiotic soil which manifests itself as a black, crunchy surface to the sand. This crust is actually a delicate, community of lichen and cyanobacteria living symbiotically. The trees, mostly pinyon pine and juniper, are gnarly from the wind and stunted from little water. The sage brush as well as the juniper trees filled with berries made our hike quite aromatic. Within the riparian areas containing more water, some Fremont's Cottonwood and Netleaf Hackberry as well as grasses were more abundant.
Water is definitely an issue in the desert. Not only did we manage to end up with a dry camp the first night, but the second day was going to be dry at least until our next campsite. Canyonlands works on a designated camping permit system. Many of the campsites were already claimed when we showed up so we took what we could get. That meant carrying in two full days worth of water. At one gallon per day that was a lot of water to carry. I was packing about 6 liters and my partner was packing about 8 liters. I barely managed to choke down 2 liters during the hike, which was insufficient for the 8 miles we hiked plus the heat of the day. I didn't get much more then another 1 liter into me before collapsing exhausted into bed.
Our route took us down into the Needles district of the park. We traveled through the Devil's Kitchen, down into Elephant Canyon into part of Chesler Park. Due to the pounding our feet took on the slick rock, we chose to bypass Druid Arch and headed into Squaw Canyon before heading back out. The trails are relatively easy to follow, moving from rock cairn to rock cairn or following cuts into the sands across the shelves above the canyon floor. The rocks are rough on gear as well as the body. Our feet were aching from the beating on the hard rock. By the last day, although we wanted to swing out and do Lost Canyon, I had a couple of bad blisters on my feet that prevented us from taking that detour. Along our chosen route, we did see some pictographs on the rocks as well as an ancient Puebloan structure tucked away under a rocky ledge. It is hard to believe that this desert has supported human life given the scant quantities of rain and water the area receives.
Our goal on this trip, other then introducing me to the desert to which I had just moved closer to, was to also give some new gear a field run on a small trip. We were out in Canyonlands for 4 days but our actual backpacking trip was three days long with about 8 miles the first two days and a further 4 miles to get back to the car. For us, this was a shakedown hike to see what would work, what wouldn't and possibly what we didn't need.
Canyonlands is unique in being at the meeting point of the Colorado and Green Rivers. Both these rivers have cut deep gorges over time into the rock leaving vast mesas between deep gorges. The wind, water and ice have cut away at a land once made up of alluvial fans, sandstone and shale to create a very unique geology. The elements have further worked their magic on the rock gently wearing it down over time into some absolutely stunning works of art that only mother nature could lovingly sculpt. Deep gorges cut by rivers, arches eroded by wind, water and ice carving out needles and spires, wind rounding out the edges. Canyonlands is a stunning place to visit made even more special by backpacking out into the farther reaches of the Needles District.
| Where |
38°12′0″N 109°56′0″W, Near Moab, UT
|
|---|
| Entrance Fee |
$10 per vehicle, $5 per person; Backcountry permits $5-30 |
| Contact |
2282 S.W. Resource Blvd., Moab, UT, 84532
435-719-2313
http://www.nps.gov/cany (limited information)
http://www.canyonlands.national-park.com/ (more information) |
| Closest Services |
Needles Outpost (limited), Moab UT (full services) |
| What to do |
Backpacking, hiking, mountain biking, rafting, kayaking |
| Extras |
Park has campsites
No pets allowed in the park or in vehicles. |
This story was originally posted April 20, 2010
I'm used to seeing, and hearing wildlife in the woods but with no woods there appeared to be nothing to see or hear. The wildlife seemed non-existent but after spending several days out in various areas of the park, I began noticing more then just the small lizards and junipers. For some reason the lizards were quite fascinating to me. The park does contain some birds other then ravens, there was evidence of mouse, rabbit and other small animal tracks and of course the lizards. Canyonlands also boasts some cryptobiotic soil which manifests itself as a black, crunchy surface to the sand. This crust is actually a delicate, community of lichen and cyanobacteria living symbiotically. The trees, mostly pinyon pine and juniper, are gnarly from the wind and stunted from little water. The sage brush as well as the juniper trees filled with berries made our hike quite aromatic. Within the riparian areas containing more water, some Fremont's Cottonwood and Netleaf Hackberry as well as grasses were more abundant.
Canyonlands is unique in being at the meeting point of the Colorado and Green Rivers. Both these rivers have cut deep gorges over time into the rock leaving vast mesas between deep gorges. The wind, water and ice have cut away at a land once made up of alluvial fans, sandstone and shale to create a very unique geology. The elements have further worked their magic on the rock gently wearing it down over time into some absolutely stunning works of art that only mother nature could lovingly sculpt. Deep gorges cut by rivers, arches eroded by wind, water and ice carving out needles and spires, wind rounding out the edges. Canyonlands is a stunning place to visit made even more special by backpacking out into the farther reaches of the Needles District.
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