We overnighted in Moab, Utah for one more night. We planned on visiting Canyonlands National Park. We left our hotel around 10:00 am after stopping at a supermarket to stock up on some supplies for lunch. There are no places to eat in Canyonlands, so we tried to be well prepared. The terrain here is very different from the other places that we have visited in Utah. It was beautiful but different.
Canyonlands National Park is only about 30 miles from Moab. As we started our journey, one of the things that impressed us was the large number of off-road vehicles that we saw. They were everywhere – both private and rental.
As we approached the park, we talked about the value of our American the Beautiful national park pass. It is a lifetime pass that costs $80. A single vehicle fee for entry into a national park is $30. The pass pays for itself pretty quickly.
Before we left, I stumbled onto a self-guided tour app from Action Tour Guides. It was cool to listen to descriptions of what we would see and where we would do next. If you decide to use an app like this, make sure to download all the guided tours before you leave as there are many places in the parks where there is no cell service and downloading once you get there is impossible.
Mesa Arch is one of the must-see places in Canyonlands National Park. It is supposed to be an easy six-tenths of a mile round trip hike, but it seemed so much longer with its ups and downs. It was beautiful to see but the number of people who had to look out of the arch made it difficult to take a photo with no one in it.
We found plenty of small cactus plants. The environment in Canyonlands makes it difficult for all manners of life to survive.
We visited places in the park named Green River Overlook.
There were so many beautiful overlooks that it is heard to decide what to show.
Grand View Point Overlook.
Whale Rock and Buck Canyon Overlook.
It was visual overload, and we enjoyed every minute.
The difference in Moab between yesterday and today is remarkable. We met some people from Iowa and Jane overheard a person trying to get a room yesterday and there were none available anywhere in town. The person was going to spend the night in their tent.
I thought that at this time of the year, it would be much quieter than it was. Boy, was I wrong!
Tomorrow, we head south towards Bryce Canyon National Park. On the way, we are stopping in Escalante, Utah to spend two nights in a yurt. Don’t know what a yurt is? You will soon!
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