Canyonlands National Park Islands in the Sky District and Dead Horse Point State Park

Canyonlands National Park is divided into three sections by the Colorado and Green Rivers.  The Islands of the Sky District is north of the Colorado and the Green and is the highest part of the park.  The canyons carved by the Colorado and the Green are immense and deep.  The part of the park east and south of the Colorado is the Needles District which is where we are as I write this blog.  The remaining section west of the Colorado and south of the Green is called The Maze and is completely remote; nothing but trails and four wheel drive roads.

Dead Horse Point State Park is just north of the Islands in the Sky District and is situated on an extremely tall butte above the Colorado.

This was not my favorite stop.  The canyons are so tall and so wide and you’re basically at the top.  My favorite part of this stop was our drive down Long Canyon Road, our hike to Corona Arch and our drive down Schafer Trail to Thelma and Louise Point above the Colorado River.

The first set of pictures is sunset at Dead Horse Point.  Dead Horse Point is one of the few places where you can actually see the Colorado River at the bottom of the canyon.

Upheaval Dome in Canyonlands National Park - Scientists are not sure how this geologic feature was created.  One there is a salt dome was pushed upward by forces below ground and then the salt bubble was exposed to air and water and dissolved away.  Another there is it is an impact crater from the large meteorite.

Some views of the Green River valley.

More views of the Green and Colorado river valleys:

Mesa Arch - the best thing about this arch was the view under the arch.

Sunrise at Dead Horse Point

Our drive down Long Canyon Road - only one photo from me.  I was driving.  More from Donna Sue later.  And yes, the road went under this rock.

Hike to Corona and Bow Tie Arches

Drive down Scafer Trail to Thelma &  Louise Point, the actual location where they filmed the final scene of the movie.  We were there for sunset followed by the rise of the full moon over the Colorado River.  First a few photos looking down at Scafer Trail.

.            Looking up at Dead Horse Point

.           Dead Horse Point is the butte in the                  background.

.               Here comes the moon.

Followed by our return up Schafer Trail in the dark.  No pictures of that.

Next stop is Mesa Verde National Park.

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