Canyonlands and Arches (Utah)

We're now moving on to our most Western section of the trip (Colorado, New Mexico & Wyoming). More wonders I'm sure await us but we thoroughly enjoyed the landscapes in Eastern Utah. There are a number of different national monuments, national parks and forests here to discover and state parks too--we did not get to them all and its the first place that I felt like I'd like to come back to soon--with a backpack and maybe a boat? Canyonlands National Park, Bear's Ear National Monument and Arches National Park are the ones we passed through. Canyonlands has 3 (and a half parts) (see map). We went into the 'Needles' section as we were passing by thought we could get a campsite without booking and needed water (so many campgrounds here you need to bring your own water). I fell in love. It isn't the most dramatic landscape (the more popular Island in the Sky section and of course the Grand Canyon have dramatic) but it was like a fairytale landscape. Beautiful rock formations everywhere with lots of ups and overs and downs all climable. The campsite is nestled in amongst these rocks really spread out with trails and backcountry campsites in all directions. I could have easily stayed 3 or 4 nights and day hiked in every direction or gone in for longer with a backpack.

We enjoyed Island in the Sky as well as a day trip. There are a lot more people in this section and less backpacking but you can take a high clearance road and drive around to more remote campsites. We didn't as we are so fully loaded. Plus kids don't get scenery from the car so everything is best by walking or biking. We did an out and back to be able to look into the twin Canyons of the Colorado and Green Rivers. It's differently amazing to looking at the Grand Canyon--still pretty high and with these huge spires in one section. We have little rock climbers now so doing the 'Whale' a big sandstone rock for an amazing view was no prob!

Arches we spent 3 nights in--it is also very dramatic. I think between Chris and I we visited most of the more accessible arches (15?) but there are actually 2000+ arches in the park. We enjoyed 2 nights of Ranger led talks at the campsite (very poorly advertised) and had lots of fun scrambling. Arches take better pictures and Delicate Arch, the symbol of Utah is an amazing one to go to. I enjoyed a run one morning up and through "Broken" arch being alone in these landscapes is amazing and you can see so far I don't worry about being lost.

Anyway, an amazing landscape and WHEN I return I will explore the Needles section of Canyonlands more thoroughly (and maybe the very remote Maze section)? and likely the Bear's Ear NM and perhaps Natural Bridges National Monument, Capitol Reef NP, Dead Horse State Park--so many options!

Sorry we skipped the Grand Canyon for posting (it was cool too) --I'll try and get Chris to write something about it!