Backpacking Canyonlands and Arches
As I am sure many of you know, I’m much more a mountain-lady than a desert-dweller. However, that does not mean I can’t appreciate beauty and awe at geology every so often. This trip to the Moab area of Utah definitely left me with my jaw dropped.
I love CSU, especially for their Outdoor Program. I have done another trip once before with them, and this experience was just as awesome (if not better). This trip was the week of Thanksgiving, and it was a five day backpacking trip that took us through Canyonlands and Arches National Parks. Our guides were my friends, Grant and Andrew, and there was a total of seven of us (including Grant and Andrew). We left CSU early on Sunday morning with all of our gear and headed out to Moab.
Our first night, we camped at a site in Moab before driving into Canyonlands the next morning. We all packed up our backpacks, bear cans and all, and began our trek through the canyon. We hiked in the Needles District, mostly on top of the canyon walls, but our first campsite was on the canyon floor.
I, unfortunately, made a terrible mistake when it comes to sleeping bag choice. Every single night, I nearly froze in my 25 degree sleeping bag in the 15 degree weather. Nonetheless, I would do it all over again to see the sunshine hit the canyon every morning.
The next day, we had the longest hike ahead of us. The trail was one of the coolest trails I have ever backpacked. There were sections that where just barely wide enough between walls for my backpack and I to squeeze through. We climbed up and down ladders, hopped across gaps, and walked next to cliffs.
This day truly showed the beauty in the heart of Canyonlands. The trail was absolutely epic. Geology has always been a subject that interested me, and the exposed rock allowed me to truly see it in action.
One of the many ladders we climbed.
A crack in the Earth!
We camped atop the canyon this night, and we got to jump around and explore during the last few hours of sunlight. I totally gawked at the sunset as it hit the rocks, and I may or may not have fallen off of a rock that I probably shouldn’t have climbed.
Home is where you blow up your sleeping pad.
The next day was a shorter hike, and our last campsite was a nice place to lounge around for the day. I took a nice nap on the boulders that were heated by the sun. The next morning was Thanksgiving, and we woke up to our last hike through Canyonlands. It was quite a fun morning, and once we got to town, we had a community Thanksgiving lunch. After our meal, we decided to head up to Dead Horse Point State Park, where we could watch the sun go down over Dead Horse Point. That final night, we set up camp in the same campsite in Moab.
A beautiful evening sky over the Colorado River.
The next day was our last day of the trip, and we took an excursion to Arches National Park. We only had the time from when we packed up to when we needed to drive home. So, we went to see the iconic Delicate Arch. Of course, there was the usual crowd surrounding it, but it really was worth checking out.
Hands in the air for an arch!
After this last stop, we drove back to good ol’ Colorado. This backpacking trip really changed my perspective on desert landscapes, and I might just have to come back to hike more, and maybe bike more.
I am extremely grateful to have explored Canyonlands in decent depth, and I am definitely going to have to head back to Arches to see a little more beneath the surface.
Anyone who has visited these national parks likely has endless good things to say about these wonderful places, as do I. I haven’t seen it all in these places (evidently), but I have done a little bit of exploring here. If you have any questions about my experiences in these awesome places, feel free to reach out to me!
See you next time, Utah. I will hurry back.
