Panoramic view of Mesa Arch, Canyonlands National Park
Photo Credit: Michael Rissi, GNU Free Documentation License
Canyonlands National Park is a national park near Moab, Utah and Arches National Park. Canyonlands cover an area of 527.5 sq miles (1,366 sq km) and was designated as a National Park on September 12, 1964. The area was created by the Colorado River and Green River, Canyonlands National Park consists of three major districts:
- Island in the Sky to the north
- The Needles to the south-east
- The Maze to the west
In addition to the three major districts, there is another separate section to the north called the Horseshoe Canyon Unit.
The Island in the Sky district and Needles district are accessible via U.S. 191 which passes through Moab. The Maze district is very remote and is only accessible from the west (Utah 24 or 95) via unpaved roads. The districts have no road connections between them, and traveling from one district to another may require two to six hours by car.
Island in the Sky is a broad and level mesa to the north of the park between Colorado and Green river. It has many spectacular viewpoints overlooking the White Rim, a sandstone bench 1200 feet (365 m) below the Island, and the rivers are another 1000 feet (304 m) below the White Rim.
The Needles district is named after the red and white banded rock pinnacles found there. In addition, the Needles district also has various other rock formations including canyons, grabens, potholes, and a number of arches similar to those at nearby Arches National Park. Unlike the arches at Arches National Park which are easily reached by short to moderate hikes or even by car, those in the Needles district lie in backcountry canyons and take long hikes or four-wheel-drive trips to reach.
The Needles district was once home of the Ancestral Puebloan Indians. Traces of their habitation can still be seen today. Many of their stone tools and mud dwellings have been preserved. The Ancestral Puebloans also left wall paintings in the form of petroglyphs. The most famous of these is called Newspaper Rock, located near the Visitor Center at the entrance of Needles district.
The Maze district west of the Colorado and Green rivers is the most remote and inaccessible section of Canyonlands National Park.
Separated from the other districts is the Horseshoe Canyon unit. It contains large panels of rock art made by hunter-gatherers from the Late Archaic Period. These are an even older people than the Ancestral Puebloans. The most notable panel in the canyon is named the Great Gallery.
Petroglyphs at Horseshoe Canyon, Canyonlands National Park
Photo Credit: Scott Catron, GNU Free Documentation License
|
