After leaving the Western slope of the Rockies and before ever reaching the gulf of California, or even flowing through the great depths of the Grand Canyon, the Colorado River trails through the high desert of the Colorado Plateau. This area, now protected by Canyonlands National Park of Utah, is a mess of mesas, canyons, and roaring rapids.
The Island in the Sky is a towering mesa sprouting some 300 meters (1000 feet) of sandstone in the air. This area of the park offers miles of vistas and five short hikes to make the most of your visit to the Island. Be sure to take in the trail to Mesa Arch at sunrise for a brilliant display of canyon colors.
The Needles district includes Big Spring Canyon, Elephant Hill, not to mention of Cedar Mesa Spires for which this area is named. Nearly 100 kilometers (60 miles) of hiking trails are more than enough to satisfy a recreational walker or a multi-day backpacking adventurer.
The mesas and skies of Canyonlands National Park are big, but don't forget to appreciate the tiny parts that make up the big picture. Most any hike will bring you over living dirt, that is an algae, lichens and bacteria crust that covers blankets the desert land. Visitors can discover tiny ecosystems in puddles of rainwater, called potholes, where fair shrimp and unique plants thrive.
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