The Needles District
Slickrock
I hiked just over three miles and visited four viewpoints of Big Spring Canyon, Little Spring Canyon, The Needles, and the rest of the surrounding landscape.
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| Surrounding Landscape |
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| Another Perspective |
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| Slickrock |
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| Endpoint of Slickrock at the Edge of a Canyon |
The name "slickrock" describes the smooth sandstone surfaces. The rock turns from moderately slippery when dry to fulfill its namesake when wet or icy.
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| Canyon |
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| Weathered Wall |
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| Outcropping |
The trail traversed mostly on top of the slickrock high above the canyons and fissures.
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| Little Spring Canyon |
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| Another View of Little Spring Canyon |
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| Pancakes |
A few times I had to use both hands and feet to scramble up and down the sandstone. This occurred when I went off trail in order to make my way all the way to the edge and obtain the best view and perspective.
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| Big Spring Canyon |
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| Narrower Section of Big Spring Canyon |
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| Clambering over the Sandstone |
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| Melting Ice Cream |
As I was returning to the trailhead, I got a great view of The Needles in the distance. Unfortunately, I was unable to see them up close because the narrow and winding dirt road you have to take to access the area only allows vehicles up to 21 feet long (my van exceeds that by 2 inches).
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| The Needles with Rounded Outcroppings in the Foreground |
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| The Needles in the Distance |
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| Closer View of The Needles |
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| Another Subsection of The Needles |
Pothole Point
This short trail is named for the depressions in the rock. Rain collects in these natural depressions creating an ecosystem for creatures like snails, beetles, worms, and shrimp. All of the potholes were dried up when I came through.
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| Pothole Surface |
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Stacked Stones Were Used to Mark the Trail on the Sandstone
(the slickrock trail used the same method) |
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| Undulating Surface |
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| Large Boulders |
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Ice Cream Cone
(what does it say that I see ice cream again in the rocks?) |
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| Massive Tower in the Distance |
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| Mesa in the Distance |
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| The Needles |
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| The Needles Look Like an Urban Skyline |
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| Closer View of The Needles |
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| Individual Needles |
Island in the Sky District
Grand View Point
The views at the end of the 0.9-mile trail along the edge of the mesa were spectacular or "grand" as implied in the name. Unfortunately, the photos at this first stop turned out the worst because it was too dark due to the early morning and the heavy cloud cover. The differences in lighting from one photo to the next were due to my seeing what I could achieve by adjusting the aperture setting.
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| Sunbeams over Canyon |
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| Closer View of Canyon |
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| Even Closer View of Canyon |
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| Detailed View of Rock Formations in the Canyon |
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| Sunlight Tower |
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| Closer View of Tower |
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| The Needles to the South |
Buck Canyon
This overlook provided a nice view of the deep depression and steep canyon walls.
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| Buck Canyon |
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| Closer View of Buck Canyon |
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| Mesa Cliff Wall |
White Rim
This was my favorite stop within the Island in the Sky district. By taking a 1.8-mile roundtrip hike, I was able to make my way over the top of the mesa and out onto the tip of a promontory that overlooked the canyons below. With closer views than Grand View Point, I felt surrounded by the landscape and immersed in its atmosphere.
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| Expansive View |
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| Canyon |
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| Closer View of the Canyon |
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| Tower |
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Grand View Point
(distant outcropping on the right) |
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| Left Side of a Huge Canyon |
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| Closer View of the Left Side |
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| Right Side of Huge Canyon |
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| Utah Juniper |
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| A Carrier Pigeon with a Package on Its Back |
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| Colorado River |
Green River
This overlook provided a view of the second of the two rivers that run through the national park. The Green and Colorado Rivers actually meet south of here in The Needles district.
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| Green River within its Canyon |
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| Green River |
Upheaval Dome
I visited both overlooks on this 1.2-mile hike to see the crater that is more than two miles wide. The two potential ways the crater was created are a salt dome that cracked and tilted over time, or a meteorite impact that instantly fractured the rock. Recent findings support the meteorite hypothesis, but questions apparently remain.
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| Upheaval Dome |
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| View from First Overlook |
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| View of the Landscape on the Way to the Second Overlook |
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| View from the Second Overlook |
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| Closer View of the Bluish Soil at the Bottom of the Crater |
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| I Stopped at a Road Turnout after Leaving Upheaval Dome |
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