I was driving to Black Canyon of the Gunnison and was driving close to Canyonland so I decided to stop because I did not get to it when I was in Utah earlier in the year. Canyonland is outside of Moab just like Arches so I was kicking myself for not booking Canyonland earlier in the year. The good news is I got to do it today. Canyonland has a campground which is small but Dundee I am sure would have been welcomed if there was a spot to be had. The park has other campgrounds for backcountry camping and there is Dead Horse Point State Park not far from the park. Additionally, there is plenty of BLM campgrounds on the route into the park. The park has sour sections which are “The Needles,” “The Maze” “Horseshoe Canyon” and “Island in the Sky.” I went to the Island in the Sky section as the Needles is 40 miles south of Moab and Island is north of Moab. The Maze section requires a 4 wheel drive vehicle and you need to be self sustaining while in the park. Horseshoe Canyon is a 7 mile hike and will require a full day as you have to get to that area of the park and then 7 strenuous miles per the NPS. There are plenty of bike trails along with the 4 wheel drive trails within the park. Having only a few hours in the park I decided to take the driving view of the park. After getting my passport stamped I went to Shafer point which is also the trailhead for Shafer trail. I walked out to the point took some photos and then back to Dundee. One it was warm and two I had little time so that prevented the hiking I would have normally competed in the park. The next stop was Mesa Arch and this required a small hike to/from of a out 0.5 miles roundtrip. There was a big sign that said “Don’t climb on the arch” but as you can guess two millennial Yo-Yo’s had decided to climb on top anyway as the sign did not apply to them. Also an observance, when you are waiting to get you photo taken at a busy spot aka the arch please be ready for the photo when your turn comes. Don’t decide to take off hats, masks, comb hair etc. as others are waiting and you are not the most important person on the planet. Next stop was Grand View Point and that was really cool. You could take a rim trail for 1 mile each way and walk along the rim. I did take the trail and the scenery was great. I did notice a woman sitting on the cliff with a nursing child in her arms. Glad the kid was nursing and not fussy as if they got out of mom’s grasp they were a goner. Back into Dundee I went, and the next stop was Green River Overlook. I bypassed Whale rock and went to Upheaval Dome. The Upheaval Dome has a picnic area and have a few trails that start/end here. I did not take them but when I come back and camp here it will be a hike the I will take. Syncline Trail or First Overlook/Second Overlook are both from this point. Most of the trails along the road into/out of the park have limited parking but if you get to the trailhead early it should be no problem. Remember no water in the park except for the visitor center and it is hot. Bring plenty of water if hiking.
