Utah Canyonlands

Utah Canyonlands
While northern Utah has world famous ski resorts and a few other other worthy places to go, its the the canyons of southern Utah which draw the raves from hikers and photographers alike.

Right: Bear River Migratory Bird Sanctuary on the shores of Great Salt Lake

	Capitol Reef National Park
	The prize of this park is Cathedral Valley, a desert landscape that features a series of mammoth sandstone monoliths, the most celebrated are called the Temple of the Sun and the Temple of the Moon.
	An incredibly scenic drive, the entire loop is 59 miles, most of it on a high clearance 2WD road that can be impassable in wet weather.
	Left: Temple of the Moon

There is a paved scenic drive that goes to Capitol Gorge which is also worthwhile. Short hikes abound, like the Navajo Knobs, 4.5 miles, 1100ft, but the scenery isn't as high impact as in other parts of the park.
The famous Waterpocket Fold is the featured in the Upper Muley Twist Canyon, 9.4 miles 920ft. Varied and quite scenic but not as easy to capture in a single photograph.
San Rafael Swell
A unique wonderland of erosion created geography with a number of incredibly scenic canyons. Little Wild Horse Canyon is the most popular as it has both a signed trailhead and no barriers to exploration. The hike can be combined with nearby Bell Canyon making a an 8.7 mile loop.
Right: Bentonite Hills in Cathedral Valley

	Goblin Valley State Park
	This park features a neat little valley filled with mushroom shaped hoodooos that are perfect for a long aimless stroll.
	"To the photographers out there the morning light was harsh; go later in the day if you can."

Canyonlands National Park
This huge park is divided into three separate sections by the Colorado and Green Rivers. The best hiking is in the south end of the park in the Needles District, an ironic moniker since the needles themselves are in fact massive towering hoodoos.
Right: "I had no idea that the *needles* were actually hundreds of feet high. A really cool place and one I wish we had spent more time exploring, definitely worth a return trip."

	The best known group of hoodoos are in Chesler Park. From the main trailhead it's only six miles return.
	On the far side of the Colorado River is a set of Hoodoos called the Doll House. These can be reached by water taxi from Moab.
	The remote western third is known as the Maze District and has the limited hiking potential. The most popular hiking destination in the west is the Great Gallery, a series of petroglyphs in Horseshoe Canyon.
	Nearby is an area referred to as Robber's Roost, a series of technical canyons, most famously Blue John Canyon. This is the one featured in the movie 127 Hours, the story of Aron Ralston, the climber who had to sever his forearm after getting it stuck under a boulder. The most scenic place is Happy Canyon, a segment of the High Spur slot.
	Left: Elephant Canyon is just one of the many awesome sights along the trail to Chesler Park.

Farther north, near Moab is the Island in the Sky District which is a bit of a one trick pony, a vast chasm with a variety of overlooks. The signature vista of the White Rim is best enjoyed at sunset.

Above: Mesa Arch
There are a multitude of hiking trails throughout this section of the park but they all require a long descent into the canyon. The most famous sites, like Mesa Arch, are only a short walk from a nearby parking lot.
Right: White Rim from Grand View Point Overlook

	Left: Just outside the entrance to Island in the Sky is Dead Horse Point State Park which has its own classic vista.
	Among the many interest places to explore near the town of Moab are the Fisher Towers, sandstone monoliths that attract climbers, photographers and even a few hikers.
	Another local novelty is the Corona Arch, a 335ft ribbon of rock that's less crowded than the nearby arches in the national parks as it requires a 3 mile return hike.

Arches National Park
"The arches themselves were fascinating but quickly became monotonous."
When visiting the park it's best to focus on the really spectacular ones: Double Arch, the Windows, Landscape Arch and of the course the iconic Delicate Arch.
It will likely it will take you longer to find parking than it will to hike to any of these arches, only Delicate Arch with a three mile return trip requires some effort. The Devil's Garden itself has so many arches, including the ultra long Landscape Arch, that all of the short side trails can be added together to make a 7.5 mile loop.
One other notable hiking destination is the Grand Gulch Primitive Area near Monticello. Here you will find Cedar Mesa and a lot of ancient ruins including the picturesque Fallen Roof Ruin.
Right: Delicate Arch