Canyonlands

 Canyonlands, located in eastern Utah, is an unexpected magical place with natural sculptures and geological wonders carved and chiseled by water and wind. Like a huge winding maze that spreads across miles with natural arches, it is a rock climber’s haven, offering sunsets and sunrises with honey-colored skies and accommodations for all visitors. The park’s diverse landscapes provide endless opportunities for hiking, off roading, photography, and looking at the stars.

 

One of the best parts of this park is the magical sunrises and sunsets. If you wake up early, you can witness the dawn’s golden glow and colors of sunset, creating unforgettable memories. But there’s one specific place that is like a portal to another world when the sun rises. There is a natural arch in the park that is only a 10 min walk from the parking called the “Mesa arch”. Photographers, rock climbers, geologists, and basically anybody love this arch like a portal that shows you the complexity and beauty of the canyons. After being to all 50 states I have to say this view is one that you can’t forget.

 

Utah is a paradise for people who love to off road, and canyonlands is their heaven, there are numerous off-road trails such as the White Rim Loop, Elephant Hill Road, and The Needles District. We went on the schafer trail and one of the workers from the visitor center said that they ride there every day to work and was described as one of the tamer off road trials, so we expected a mellow ride to the bottom the canyon. But it was more extreme than we expected because right of the bat we ended up on a narrow road with no space to turn around and a view of the inside of the canyon. If you want to go on one of these trails make sure that you have the right car requirements (unlike us), day use permits, and drive with caution.

 

All of this was formed when the continents floated away and north America was flooded by the ocean. As a result rivers flooded the area at high speed carving their way through the mountain side. With rivers crossing, forming unique patterns they created pillars, graben, and arches. As the water level lowered instead of carving the canyon outwards, it started carving downwards. Then the wind rushing and bouncing off the canyon walls smoothed it out.