Canyonlands National Park - Island in the Sky

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After a mid-afternoon rest and a rejuvenating nap after the strenuous morning at Arches, I left the hotel about 4:30 pm and headed over to the Island in the Sky district of Canyonlands National Park, about a 45-minute drive from Moab. 

Canyonlands was a welcome alternative to Arches. The park was much cooler (due to a higher elevation) and way less crowded (in fact it was nearly empty of visitors). The landscape was also quite different than at Arches - the NPS visitor guide describes Canyonlands as preserving a wilderness of rock at the heart of the Colorado Plateau.

The Island in the Sky's park road leads to the Grand View Point Overlook, the highlight of the park, with an elevation of 6,080 feet. Along the way, I stopped at Mesa Arch and few other minor overlooks.

These photos will give you a sense of the immenseness of the Canyonlands landscape. There were awesome views and it was a great way to end the day. Tomorrow, I'll be driving to The Needles in Canyonlands. And I may try to throw in a visit to Dead Horse Point State Park which is close to Island in the Sky.








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