Now here is a place that I’ve barely explored. It’s just that immense. And hot in the summer. And dry. And dusty. Did I mention hot? My big memory here is of the campground at willow flat – camped next to some giant rocks for shade, when the sun went down, still very hot. But then a breeze came up and I assured Sheila it would cool things down. Turns out- it was a hot breeze at midnight. I guess the rocks retain their heat and dissipate it to the wind overnight. Kind of like being in a blast furnace. But still, an adventure, a fun one at that. We couldn’t get any radio to listed to either in this remote location, but my new at the time XM satellite radio did the trick.
This park is divided up into several sections. Islands in the sky, Horseshoe Canyon, The Maze and the Needles. You can’t really drive between them since the roads don’t go that way (probably because of the namesake canyons).
My favorite things to do here
- The overlooks at “Islands in the Sky” section
Things I want to come back to do
- The needles section
- Some of the longer hiking trails
- Drive a 4×4 through the desert
- A canoe or kayak trip on the Colarado
- Mountain Bike
Fun Facts
- Most people find it impractical to visit more than one or two districts on a single trip
National Park Service Website: http://www.nps.gov/cany/
NPS Map: http://home.nps.gov/applications/hafe/hfc/carto-detail.cfm?Alpha=cany
