Postcard from The Needles - All Alone Am I

Have you ever wanted to have a national park all to yourself? I have on many occasions, especially in Yosemite. Of course, that is never going to happen, but if I were king....well, never mind. But I came real close to fulfilling my dream at the Needles section of Canyonlands National Park. Such a beautiful place...and it was all mine...well almost.

Canyonlands National Park, only in existence since 1964, thanks greatly to the efforts of our then Secretary of the Interior, Stewart Udall. During his tenure, the National Park Service added four national parks, six national monuments, nine recreation areas, 20 historic sites and 56 wildlife refuges.

The Canyonlands is so large that it is divided into three sections: The Needles, Island in the Sky, and The Maze. Each is quite distinct from the other. Island in the Sky is approached from the north and is very close to Moab, UT. It sits up high on a plateau overlooking all of the park and is the most visited section of Canyonlands, probably because of the views and the fact that it is the most accessible for automobiles. The Maze is approached from the west and is strictly for serious 4-wheel drive vehicles with high clearance. Ordinary autos and vans need not apply.

As for the Needles, it sits down in Canyonlands and is named for very large rock formations that stick up into the sky like needles. It has some auto accessible sites, but it also has a large number of hiking trails and 4-wheel drive roads. The best way I know to describe it is canyons within canyons within a large canyon. It also has a comparatively smaller number of visitors, probably because there is only one way in and out...a 34 mile long road off of the main highway coming in from the southeast. But, it is a beautiful drive.

The first 10 miles is ordinary open range. From there on, you drop down into the large super canyon that encompasses all of the Canyonlands...and let me tell you, it is a stunningly beautiful drive, especially in the afternoon. I stopped several times to take pictures as the view changes continually around each bend in the road. Eventually, you come to the main entrance of The Needles and the Visitor's Center. They have a terrific 3D relief map of the whole park that gives you an excellent picture of where you are and how everything is situated...and, of course, all the canyons in the canyons.

I first headed to the campground to secure my site. There are only 15 campsites in the first campground and only four had occupants, including me. A second camp site was closed for the season. Like I said, it was like being alone, especially as I chose a site far away from anyone else. The quiet and the beauty of my temporary home was something I can't even begin to describe.

My guidebook and bible for photographing Utah said the best time to photograph the Needles was at sunrise and the trail left from the main parking area in the campground, which was a little ways back from my site. So, just before dawn, I got into my van to look for the trail. It was not to be found. I went back to my campsite and, lo and behold it was right across the road from my new home.

I headed out along the trail, and after about 1/2 mile, the trail ended at a large rock formation. As I have discovered since, this is quite common in this whole area. As I looked up, I saw stacked rocks that obviously marked the trail up the rock (these are called "cairns" and are also very common). So I started climbing, praying my foot would not slip and that I could get back down safely. The cairns led me along more vertical rock and through a cave formed by falling rocks, then more climbing. Finally, I came to the top and could see all the Needles in full array from the early morning light. Luckily I had remembered to bring my camera (and water) and started taking photos. You saw one of them in my last blog.

I was able to make it safely down and back to my campsite (good hiking shoes are a must here)...and after breakfast headed out for more adventures in this wonderful park. I loved the 3-mile long ride on a gravel road to Elephant Hill where I discovered another great view of the Needles and other amazing red rock formations. The Scenic Drive is also very nice and provided even more photographic opportunities. But, what I loved most was having this beautiful place all to myself. I never ran into anyone else other than the occasional park ranger, either driving or hiking. While I would not want to spend the majority of my life alone, sometimes it is the best thing going.

I would have stayed longer than three days and two nights to enjoy the solitude but the winter clock was running and I wanted to see more of southern Utah before winter arrive. I would love to come back here just for the solitude and the beauty that is the Needles.

The pictures included here show my campsite, the Needles at sunrise that I worked so hard to see, and a small lake on the way into the park. I will have more pictures of this park in another blog.