Canyonlands National Park contains 337,598 acres of land comprised of countless canyons, mesas, and buttes. The Park is divided into four main districts - Island in the Sky, The Needles, The Maze, and the combined Green and Colorado Rivers.
Island in the Sky is one of the most visited areas in the Park because it is accessible by one of the two paved Park roads. (Less than a million visitors per year visit the entire Park). Island in the Sky is also adjacent to Utah Dead Horse Point State Park that contains a visitor center and developed campground. Several years ago we stayed in the campground and there was a late spring blizzard; so we cut our stay short and left early. This time - no blizzard!
There are only two paved roads leading into the Park and both dead end at lookout points. One paved road leads to Island in the Sky and the other paved road leads to The Needles section. Dirt trails in the Park are generally not suitable for two-wheel drive vehicles and a number of the trails require a special use permit even for four-wheel drive vehicles. The permits can be difficult to obtain during busy times of the year because only a few permits are issued each day. Some good advice - call for advanced reservations for a four-wheel drive permit!
We have followed a few of the Park trails and one time I drove a 4-wheel Chevrolet Blazer with heavy-duty off-road tires all the way from Island in the Sky down to The White Rim Road and then on to the Colorado River by way of Lathrop Canyon. Once was enough for that trip! If a vehicle gets stranded on any of the dirt trails, towing fees can be in excess of $2,000.
Edward Abbey was a frequent visitor to the Park and described Canyonlands as "the most weird, wonderful, magical place on earth - there is nothing else like it anywhere."
Descending Shafer Trail is a "must do" when visiting Island in the Sky. After following the narrow, dirt trail from Island in the Sky down the cliff face, Shafer Trail connects to White Rim Road (A really nasty four-wheel trail that goes around Island in the Sky.) or Potash Road that goes back to the highway and then into Moab. While descending Shafer Trail, our Danish friend was so impressed with the narrow trail and vertical sheer drops that she started expressing her feeling by speaking in some sailor dialect whenever the vehicle got too close to the Trail's edge.
Musselman Arch (technically a natural bridge) is located off White Rim Road and has a span of 120 feet. Visitors are allowed to walk across the arch; but it is not recommended for people that are afraid of heights, since the span is rather narrow in places. Our Danish friend made it across the span and said that she enjoyed the view - as long as she did not look down.
Potash Road continues down the canyon and eventually becomes Utah State Route 279. Before reaching Moab, there are some well preserved petroglyphs along the side of the road near marked road pull-outs. It is believed that the petroglyphs were made by the Fremont Indians between 600 and 1300 A.D.
Located in the same area are some dinosaur tracks on a flat slab that has been tilted upward. The location of the tracks is marked by a sign along the side of the road.
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