USA 2019: A day in Canyonlands National Park

A single destination today - Canyonlands National Park, which was approximately 30 miles from Moab. This was our fourth National Park and it continued the trend of each one being unique from the next. We're settling into a visiting routine - take the scenic drives and do a couple of the marked trails. It works for us. And, as a bonus, the good weather has returned and the temperatures were in the high 60s throughout the day. The visibility was excellent throughout and, because of the height we were at (circa 6000 feet), we enjoyed views that extended for nearly 100 miles. So what's different about Canyonlands? Where do I start? It's huge - the largest National Park in Utah. Like Bryce, it's a place where you are up high and looking down. This time looking down on a series of canyons cut through the red rock over the millenia by the actions of the Colorado and Green rivers. I said huge when I mean immense, enormous, humungous. The size and landscapes are, quite frankly, difficult to get your head around.

Looking down from the Canyonlands rim. The National Park is so big that it has four distinct area. We were in the highest parts, aptly called 'Island in the Sky'.

Looking towards the snow capped La Sal mountains in the distance - about 80 miles from this point.

The flowers were starting to bloom, not in profusion yet but more advanced than they were in Zion or Bryce. I'm going to collate all my flower shots into a future post. This one is of Desert Datura.

Towards the La Sal range again but from a different viewpoint.

These dead Juniper bushes intrigued me with their stark shapes.

Some of the finger canyons we looked down on.

Looking towards the north.

Oooh look, another tree.

Somewhere down there is the Colorado River.

I was continually amazed by where trees will go. Here's one on the rim edge finding sustanance somehow from the bedrock.

Clouds, lovely clouds.

A better view of the mountains.

Tomorrow we are off to The Arches National Park. I expect that we'll see more like this one from Canyonlands.