Confusion

Two weeks ago, we were in Canyonlands National Park. We spent last week in the town of Moab as well as Arches National Park. This week, we’re back in Canyonlands National Park, but not the same park we were in two weeks ago.

Here’s where I might have lost you: Canyonlands consists of three districts and one unit. When we first came to Utah, we spent six days in the Needles District. This week, we stayed in the Island in the Sky District. Only four-wheel-drive, high-clearance vehicles can reach the Maze, the third district.

 Each section resembles a park within a park. Thanks to the very rough terrain and two major rivers of the American West—the Green and the Colorado—none of the districts can be reached directly from the other—unless one is willing to swim or paddle. In fact, we drove 104 miles from the Needles entrance to the Island in the Sky entrance.

Island in the Sky is aptly named. It consists of the thin, high sliver of land between the rivers. One can drive to the very southern tip of the Island, Grand View Point, and see glimpses of the Colorado on the left and the Green on the right more than 2,400 feet below.

The Green River, looking west from the Green River overlook, just south of our campsite

The end of the Green River Basin, taken from Murphy Point looking southwest. Note Junction Butte on the left and the Maze District in the distance.

From Grand View, one could also see the confluence of the rivers—if only the canyon wasn’t so deep. It is much easier to pick out the Needles, which are the unique sandstone formations for which the district is named. Different erosion rates in the Needles' sedimentary rock, plus uplift and collapse on the Colorado Plateau, created these oddly elegant structures.  

The Colorado River basin just before it meets the Green; taken from Grand View Point, looking south/southeast; note Monument Basin in the foreground and the Needles District in the distance on the right

In addition to the three districts, there is also a small unit—Horseshoe Canyon—that is completely disconnected from the rest of the park. It protects one of the largest and best examples of Native American rock art in the world.

To add to the confusion, park employees consider the Green and Colorado Rivers to be a fourth, unofficial district. The Green is very calm as it nears its end while the Colorado is as white as it gets south of the confluence. Both sections are popular rafting trips. One must navigate a separate permitting system to camp on or near the river, and rangers patrol the waterways by boat.

For the record, we unexpectedly found a wonderful campsite, #10, here in Island in the Sky in the Willow Flat Campground. It’s the only drive-in camping in the park, with 12 first-come sites. We’ve been enjoying Aztec Butte in our backyard since Saturday night. Thought there are only half as many sites in Island in the Sky, we found it easier to secure a spot here, perhaps because most Island visitors stay in Moab while Needles hikers have few options. Even so, all spots were always gone by noon. 

Our backyard; Aztec Butte in the Distance