Canyonlands

What can I say about Canyonlands. Do your best to avoid hitting it with a foot injury. I've been laid up for a week after doing the eleven mile Joint trail loop in the needles section of the park.

Canyonlands is huge. The trails in this park total over 150 miles and are divided up into four sections; Island in the Sky, Needles, The Mazes, and Horseshoe Canyon. If you want to fully appreciate this park you need a high clearance four wheel drive off road vehicle, and the skills to use it.

If you aren't looking for intense hiking, or four wheeling there's still plenty to do here. There are several easy to moderate hikes with great views in both the Needles and the Island in the Sky. I am looking forward to coming back to this park sometime when I can put weight on my foot again to really get to explore this park.

The hikes in this park should not be taken lightly. The terrain can change rapidly, and longer hikes can take you a long way away from any sources of water. I ran into quite a bit of blowing sand and was glad for the facemask I had with me to keep it out of my face.

If you are up for eleven miles, and clambering over rocks and sand the Joint trail is worth the trek out to the Chesler Park part of the Needles. The Joint section of the hike is an incredible section walker through fractures in the rocks that see to go on forever.