Day 25 Utah

It was a short trip from my campsite in Colorado to Utah along I-70. The entire drive was surrounded left and right by prairies, mountains, and mesas as far as the eye could see. There are established “scenic views” right off the highway, including one a mile into Utah, called “Harley’s Dome.” I stopped at many of the scenic stops along the way.

I turned left at Crescent Junction and drove down U.S. 191 towards a turnoff to Canyonlands National Park and eventually entered into the Island in the Sky district. Inside, I drove to three of the main overlooks, the Upheaval Dome Overlook (accessible by a short hike), the Buck Canyon Overlook, and the Grand View Point Overlook. The views at each were stupendous, as were smaller scenic view stops throughout the park. It pushed me to figure out how to do a panoramic photo from my phone. The only hike I took in the park was at the first overlook, because dogs are not permitted on any of the trails.

The countless canyons and formed buttes in the park were carved by the Colorado River and its tributaries over millions of years. There are thousands of unique rock formations, including one called the Whale Rock. I assume the Grand Canyon views (in a few days) will be similarly spectacular, but the sights here will be hard to beat. I highly recommend this park as a vacation spot because of the views, the many hiking trails, and the campgrounds, although I did not stay the night as I wanted to be closer to the next day’s drive.

From there I drove back to U.S. 191 and headed down to my campsite at the Devil’s Canyon Camp in the Manti-LaSal National Forest. On that drive I passed by the Wilson Arch, the snow-capped LaSal Mountains near Moab, and the similar Blue Mountains near Monticello. The campsite was quiet, with few amenities, but otherwise very well maintained.

Overall, Utah is much more beautiful than I expected. Posted pictures include the first scenic view from Harley’s Dome, as well as many from Canyonlands, and finally the Wilson Arch and the LaSal and Blue Mountains. I apologize for the many photos, but there too many good ones to choose from. I did have to download the pictures of the LaSal Mountain and the Whale Rock.