Canyonlands, the Needles District - Part One.

So many times I've been asked, "How do I get to Canyonlands?"  Ok, well which section, do you want, the "Needles District" or "Islands in the Sky"?...and the confused looks begin.  Off Route 191, and Church Rock is practically right across the roadway, is Route 211 and this is the most direct road to Canyonlands' Needles District.  There are signs, several signs in both directions stating Route 211 or Canyonlands National Park; the latter one just doesn't state "Needles", so folks tend to say, "there are no signs!"  Yes, there are, so have we cleared that misconception up?  Great!

Route 211 has a lot to see on it even before you get to the entrance of the National Park, so while it may take about a half hour to drive to the park, don't set your clock to it.  Besides the desert and slickrock landscapes, there is the ghost town of Marie Ogden's Home of Truth. It was a religious cult that didn't last too long; old timers in Monticello don't want to talk about it; younger people have no clue about it; but I enjoyed researching and revealing this Monticello secret. Then there is Newspaper Rock, a rock wall full of ancient petroglyphs; and just nearby is a jughandle arch at the entrance to Shay Canyon.  As the vistas open up before you, Bridger Jack Mesa and the Six Shooters loom up ahead; pretty soon you'll see the Needles Outpost which is basically your last chance for gas, water and snacks before entering the Park.

The paved road throughout the Park is only about 6.5 miles, the rest is rough terrain and you will need to get a pass at the Visitors Center to be able to take a four wheel drive vehicle onto most of the roads. Hiking is allowed, but make sure you get a map and are prepared, as most of the hikes require 3 to 7 hours into the back country. Car drivers shouldn't be discouraged; besides the paved road, the trail to Cave Spring is graded dirt and, while a little bumpy, is quite drive-able.  6.5 miles might not sound like much, but you will see more than you expected and that is why I've divided up this Park write up into two parts.  This part one will just be a taste, part two will be the whole enchilada!    Truth be told, if you just want to drive, look, but not stop; you could do the entire drive in about an hour.  We were there for three hours and that included a roadside picnic lunch while sitting on slickrock.

Ok, so you stopped at the Visitors Center (highly recommended by the way) and you're on the paved road.  Little short story here, as we were leaving there was a young man (with backpack) hitching a ride, so we stopped to help him out.  His name was Eugene and was visiting from Buenos Aires, Argentina; he was a very polite young man and was so happy to be driven as far as we were going.  Our first stop was Wooden Shoe Arch which wasn't too far, but close enough to the road to Elephant Hill which is where Eugene wanted to go to anyway.  See, we have a nice little tale about a foreign visitor, and hopefully he related to his countrymen how nice Americans can be.

Wooden Shoe Arch

 

 

Anyway...Wooden Shoe Arch might not look impressive, since it is far in distance.  Having a zoom lens on my camera was a big help in getting more detail on it.  Hint, if you don't have a zoom lens on or for your camera, invest in binoculars.  Besides seeing Wooden Shoe Arch more clearly, I was able to get a view of the Needles.

As we were leaving the Wooden Shoe Arch viewing area, we noticed a sign pointing towards "Cave Spring", so went along the dirt trail.  Cave Spring is the location of an old cowboy camp; there are petroglyphs within the caves and a couple of wooden ladders to climb to complete the entire loop.  This is a fun place to visit!  Going into and out of cave like areas, a few have water in them and there is vegetation growing right out of the rock walls.  The scenery is beautiful and you can see one of the Six Shooters in the distance.  We found a couple of pack rat dens, but no one was home at the time; and while we did find piles of guano, no bats were roosting over our heads.  Like I stated before, the dirt trail can accommodate cars; there is really no excuse to miss this experience, so do it!

Cave Spring's Cowboy Camp

Petroglyphs

Here come more photos of the Cave Spring Area; I told you, this is a great place!

Spring, Petroglyphs, Plants growing in wall crevices

This concludes the first part of our adventuring through Canyonlands National Park - Needles District.  I hope this little taste gave your appetite for exploring a want for more; if not, it is truly your loss.

Mary Cokenour

Camping Amongst Moonflower Canyon's Ancient Petroglyphs.

Datura (Moonflower)

In yesterday's write up on Kane Creek Blvd., I teased you with a few tidbits about Moonflower Canyon. This small box canyon is found about three miles up the road, and is appropriately named for the extensive growth of Datura (aka Moonflower, Jimsonweed, Angel's Trumpet) in the area. It is a sacred plant to the Native Americans and was used in ceremonies, mainly for the hallucinogenic properties which were needed for "vision quests".

Now I spoke with one of my Native American friends who told me that it is definitely not used anymore due to its also very toxic properties which can seriously injure brain and bodily functions, or cause death.  I'm going to get all the warnings about Datura done with now, but the gist of it is; don't eat it or you're taking your life into your own hands.  Datura is a part of the nightshade family containing naturally occurring tropane alkaloids.  These plants are essentially for landscaping, not culinary, use.  If ingested, get to the hospital immediately for treatment; it will take 24 - 36 hours for the plant to get out of the system with, hopefully, no side effects or damage.  Consider yourself thoroughly forewarned; now lets get back to Moonflower Canyon itself.

 

 

It is a completely beautiful environment with the Colorado River just across the roadway.  There are eight campsites available and this area is considered a "primitive" area with no water or electricity.  Moab is only three miles away if you need civilization, or supplies; there is a toilet facility and garbage bins, so no excuses on why you cannot keep your campsite clean.  As you explore, you will find a creek running through towards the far back of the Canyon; during rainfall, a large pothole fills with water, and sometimes a waterfall will form off the back wall.  It is a very quiet and peaceful area and your only visitors might be one of the local birds or lizards. 

The Canyon is surrounded by sandstone walls and many a cave has developed due to erosion; or perhaps helped to form by ancient hands.  I've seen folks camp in or nearby the caves; but like any campsite keep it clean, and most especially do NOT damage the sandstone walls.  You were there, but now you're gone; please don't carve your name to carry on.

 

 

Which brings me to one of the major reasons Moonflower Canyon has become a large tourist attraction, the Petroglyphs.  The petroglyphs date back about 2000 years during the Archaic Era to the Preclassic Era; basically when pottery making, loom weaving, stone grinding and drilling were in full swing.  Unfortunately these petroglyphs were seriously vandalized throughout the years, and the fencing around them doesn't keep all the "idiots" out.  Next to the "rock art" is a large split in the wall with remains of a wooden ladder inside.  It was theorized that the ancient Native Americans used this to climb up higher on the wall to carve their "writings". 

Moonflower Canyon is one of those places that, yes, you can see ancient Native American history; but it is a place that you can camp for the night, or bring a picnic meal and visit for the day.  It is one of those places that is tranquil, bringing rest to the body, mind and soul.  Enjoy the soothing.

Mary Cokenour