Adventuring In Red Rock Country: Moab, Arches And Canyonlands National Parks

I see three skydivers float down to the drop zone as we exit the Canyonlands airport and begin the drive 14 miles south to Arches National Park. I’m here to explore the Moab area, which also includes Canyonlands National Park, for one weekend with my oldest son. We chat about the Mormon pioneers and Butch Cassidy and the Wild Bunch as Jeeps and trucks outfitted with mountain bicycles and motor bikes punch by.

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We are now in the land of adventure where folks whoop it up year-round, with access to thousands of miles of desert landscapes, layers of sedimentary rock, and red slickrock in the Colorado Plateau geologic area. Out of the car window, we see the theatrical cliffs, steps, domes, towers, turrets, and mountains of vermilion sand, whittled away by wind and weather, disturbed by the Colorado River and its tributaries.

I tell my son, who is marveling at the scarlet, brown and goldenrod hues all around, that like a nail that rusts when you leave it outside in the rain, iron in the American Southwest desert’s sandstone and shales oxidizes and turns the dirt and slickrock into these various sunset-colored shades.

Within the hour, we make it to our first hike: Park Avenue toward Courthouse Towers, a two mile roundtrip hike into a sun-filled canyon with a 320 foot elevation change. We see the Three Gossips formation and Sheep Rock before moving on to the next stops: Petrified Dunes View Point, Balanced Rock, and Panorama Point.

Next, we head to the trailhead for Delicate Arch at Wolfe Ranch, a three mile roundtrip hike that climbs 480 feet up a smooth rock incline. My kid hugs the wall toward the top, as he’s not a fan of narrow ledges, drop offs, and heights. We round the corner, and then, bam—there’s the free-standing arch, the same one we’ve seen a hundred times in t-shirt shops, throughout promotional advertising, on stickers, on hotel signs, and on the Utah state license plate. Wasn’t it also on our screen saver at one point at home?

Delicate Arch is just one of over 2,000 stone arches in the park, but it’s clearly the most famous. We learn that the opening beneath the arch is 46 feet high and 32 feet wide and that it’s been called “Cowboy Chaps” and “Old Maid’s Bloomers” in the past.

My son talks about YouTube and video games the entire way down, even as we pass Wolfe Ranch cabin, built in the early 1900’s, and the Ute Indian petroglyphs. I interrupt him every 20 minutes or so to point out how the light dances across the rocks or to remind him to take a sip of water. We giggle at all of the passing hikers we’ve deemed “Desert Dads”, men who wear the same outfit of fitted khaki shorts, t-shirts, and backwards baseball caps.

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At this point it’s getting dark, so we venture on to Sand Dune Arch. My teen is tired and doesn’t want to hike anymore, so I leave him in the car and walk the 0.3 miles between large boulders, in cold deep red sand, in the dark. I have to use my cell phone to light the way and I get excited at being surrounded 360-degrees by the black shadows of sandstone fins. I reach the arch but can barely make it out under the light of the stars.

Because I’m a person that loves an itinerary and following a map, I drive to the end of the main road, past Skyline Arch, all the way to the Devil’s Garden trailhead before turning around and making my way out of the park. We move on to downtown Moab, through quite a bit of traffic, grab dinner to-go, and nearly fall asleep while eating in bed at the hotel.

Up early the next morning, we make the most of our limited time, and head to Canyonlands National Park, a high desert full of 337,598 acres of canyons, mesas, buttes, fins, arches, and spines, which were carved out by gravity and water. Our goal today is to explore the complete length of the Island in the Sky district (there are four districts in total, including The Needles, The Maze, and The Rivers), a 34-mile roundtrip scenic drive that is sandwiched in between the Green and Colorado Rivers.

I immediately start singing Islands in the Stream, swapping out the word stream for sky. My son corrects me with an eye roll, yet I feel a silly sense of pride that he knows the lyrics to a Dolly Parton song.

Noticing the cairns that mark the trail, we walk to Mesa Arch along a short dirt path that leads to a cliff-edge with views of the La Sal Mountains. Millions of years of erosion on sedimentary rock are on display. Afterward, we stop at the Green River Overlook, Murphy Point, Buck Canyon Overlook, White Rim Overlook, and finish at Grand View Point Overlook before turning around and going back the way we came.

I want to explore more into the night to see the Milky Way as Canyonlands National Park has been designated an International Dark Sky Park, which means that not only is this a stellar place to see the night sky, but also, the park preserves the nocturnal ecosystem through installing light fixtures that don’t waste the light as well as educational efforts. The park is also a member of the Colorado Plateau Dark Sky Cooperative. I tell my son that planets—Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn—are often visible depending on the time of year and day.

Back in downtown Moab, we grab a quick bite to eat before heading to the biggest thrill-seeking pursuit of the weekend: a sunset power sport adventure with Uncharted Society, a pilot endeavor for experiential travel in the newest BRP (Bombardier Recreational Products) vehicles. Adventurers of all skill levels can choose trips based on length, specific vehicle being used, location, and terrain—mountains, valleys, deserts, lakes. We’ve decided to explore the backcountry of Moab in a Can-Am Maverick X3 for The Way to Heaven is Through Hell’s Revenge program, which isn’t for the faint of heart.

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We meet up with High Point Hummer and ATV’s owner, Scott McFarland, and he gives us helmets and shows me how to operate the vehicle. Soon after, we’re at the bottom of a fin and Scott scales it to the top. I go right after him and as soon as my tires grip the rock, all my son and I see is blue sky. I hope Scott is out of the way ahead so that I don’t crash into him when he comes into view. The Can-Am is smooth and it’s unbelievable that it can climb such a steep face like it was nothing. I look over at my son and can see his mouth agape in disbelief for what we just ascended.

We fly through flour-like powder, drifting and spinning up ruby sand as we go, and my son squeals and white knuckles the grips in front of him. Scott gives me a thumbs up and calls me Danica and I feel like a race car driver through and through. I’m 100% living in the present moment, smiling ear to ear, and letting grit get into my teeth. Every time my son thunders, “Faster, mama, faster!” I give him a gloved fist bump and sally forth to the next section.

We navigate up and down petrified sandstone dunes, through wine-red rock canyons, and on unbelievably dazzling terrain. Two motor bikes flank my vehicle and one rider stands up as he passes in front of me. Engines growl and maroon earth billows. The wild and buzzing energy in the air is palpable.

Scott speeds ahead and creates so much dust that I can no longer see the path. I wait a minute for the dirt to settle then floor the pedal. I loosely grip the steering wheel, letting it slide through my fingers on sharp quick-thinking turns. I’m pushing the Can-Am hard, but it’s up to the task.

We reach an overlook, on top of a boulder, right as the sun sets, creating an alpenglow on the landscape in the distance. I high-five and hug my son—it’s a perfect finale to the adventure. We have to depart the next day, but I want to hold onto this moment, and my son, a little while longer.

Further National Park Exploration:

To learn about Utah’s Greater Zion area and Zion National Park, read This National Park Should Be On Your Wander List Right Now.

Read Savor The Final Flashes of Summer Out West for more information on Yosemite National Park.

Connect with the author, Wendy Altschuler, on Instagram or her website.

Source: https://gardencourte.com
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