The best of Canyonlands National Park

By Tava Hoag

My first time to Canyonlands National Park located in Moab, Utah was a whirlwind of adventure. We spent less than 24 hours in the park itself, and still, we were able to see the beauty within and surrounding these gorgeous lands. You might be thinking, “how do you know the best spots for photos if you were only there for a short time?” I’ll admit it’s a fair point, but I know because of the research I carried out beforehand thanks to “Your Guide to the National Parks” book by Michael Joseph Oswald. This contains up-to-date information about everything. It gives you a brief history/overview of each park, tells you the best time of year to go, and then states the best places within the park for a variety of activities from photography to hiking, camping, and driving. It is a very valuable purchase for someone thinking of visiting any of the national parks in the United States.

Let’s start with a little background on the park itself.

Background:

Canyonlands National Park is an intricate landscape of canyons carved into the Colorado Plateau. The water that continues to flow through the canyons actually carries sediment from the walls and floors all the way to the Pacific ocean. I am a firm believer that each park is unique, however, if I have to pick another landmark that this place reminds me of then I would choose the Grand Canyon. There are spots that truly make you feel as if you are on another planet. As someone who has lived in the United States my whole life, I realized a lot through my past year of travel how much I have taken my very own country for granted.

Canyonlands was established September 12, 1964, and receives 435,000 visitors annually which is actually small in comparison to Yellowstone's 3.6 million and even Arches 1 million. Especially considering Arches is only a mere 33-minute drive from Canyonlands. I knew all this going in. What I didn’t know and couldn’t know until I experienced it was how much I would fall in love with the colors that the park displays during sunrise and sunset.

My Visit:

I arrived at Canyonlands in my Ford Focus packed with three of my best friends. We had been road tripping through Utah and Colorado for the past week and had just come from across the way at Arches National Park. This park was one of our last stops before heading back to Colorado. Our trip had been planned for the sole purpose of creating content for our respective blogs and Instagram pages. Because of this, we were the most active during twilight and dawn. We had resorted to taking naps during the day because we had also been staying up late or waking up at 3 AM to take night shots. We had all of the gear. Natalie and I were the two models. We had outfit changes, adventure hats, blankets, coffee mugs everything we needed to get the photographs we envisioned. It was my first major trip with all photographers and models and it was invigorating. We spent sunset at Dead Horse Point. This is actually a state park right outside of Canyonlands. And it really looks like the Grand Canyon. I was posting snapchats and Instagram stories while I was there and I had so many people ask me if it was the Grand Canyon. The sense of scale was breathtaking. It was mid-March when we took our trip and because of this, we skipped out on all of the crowds because it’s technically the off-season from October to May. Our time spent at Dead Horse Point was just the four of us. We climbed along the cliffs, sat on the edge our feet dangling into the open air, and watched as the colors changed from vibrant orange to rosy pink, and then muted purple. With the deep brown of the clay cliffs, it was an unforgettable image. The little person in the image is me, that’s how vast everything is.

Once the sun fully set and the sky began to darken beyond our capacity for photos we made our way into the actual park. We had no plans and no idea where we were sleeping so we camped as close to Mesa Arch as we could. I made dinner in the trail-head parking lot, pasta with sauce, and some veggies. Then we slept, but really it was only a nap. two hours later we gathered out supplies, tents, sleeping bags, and camera equipment and walked the mile to the famous arch. We set up as close as we could and did some night photography. We took turns sleeping and when the light finally started returning to the sky we were the first ones there to witness it and get the best spot.

Even though the parking lot was empty all through the night the crowd of people came trickling to the arch at 5 AM. Everyone began setting up tripods to catch the perfect image of the sun being framed within the arch. We actually got yelled at by a few fellow photographers for going and grabbing this image. Despite the crowds, it was still a wonderful experience and the best sunrise I have ever witnessed. And if you become overwhelmed with the people simply walk a short distance parallel to the arch and you will find a cliff overlooking the canyons below where you can sit in peace enjoying the solitude and grandness before you.

The one upside to the crowds is that you meet so many people who have an appreciation for nature, and who have a sense of adventure. We made quite a few new friends from our brief trip to Canyonlands. Our last stop was Grand View Point. We arrived and wandered to the edge of the plateau, took a few photos, and then sat together not even talking but simply enjoying the moment, feeling the sun warm our faces, and marveling at the world beneath our feet. It was the perfect 16 hours.

Top 3 Places to Photograph:

Grand View Point: Is located in the Island in the Sky district of the park. It’s very accessible, the main road through that portion of the park will take you exactly to the point. Once there you can do a 2-mile loop to view the scenery and get some exercise or you can walk right to the edge and sit. There are plenty of opportunities for photos and even when the light is harsh it is still doable. We were there closer to 11:30 AM and we still managed to make it work. It’s nice because you don’t feel like you are being corralled like some parks. Here you are free to roam as you please and make the best of your time.

Mesa Arch: This is the most well-known arch in Canyonlands. Because of this, it is normally very crowded. When is it crowded? During Sunrise. The arch is located facing east. It gets the best light as the sun comes up over the horizon. If you go during the right time of year, spring to summer it’s magical. The sun lights up the inside of the arch as it rises and when you experience it you have to stop to catch your breath for a minute because it’s not like any normal sunrise. It’s completely unique and this is why crowds flock here, not to mention it’s a short hike and very accessible for everyone. Don’t let this discourage you. It’s still possible to achieve the photos you planned out. Be assertive, don’t back down, and deal with other cranky photographers as politely and professionally as possible. Try to remember it’s their special moment as well as yours.

Dead Horse Point State Park: This is technically not part of Canyonlands, but it’s well worth the slight detour down a side road along the way. I first saw this location on Instagram and knew I wanted to see it in person. As I mentioned before a lot of friends of mine assumed it was the Grand Canyon from my pictures. I’ve actually never been to the Grand Canyon. The park overlooks the Colorado River and parts of Canyonlands National Park. The point received its name because it worked as a natural corral for cowboys during the 19th century, the horses typically died of exposure to the elements. Thus the rather morbid name. I promise it’s a stunning place beside the reference to a dead animal. As the sun sets it truly looks like a painting. During the early spring, not many visitors are present and you will likely find yourself alone. It’s eerie because you feel like you are the last person alive in the whole world when you stand on the edge of the point.

Bonus Destination: an hour and a half west of Canyonlands is Goblin Valley State Park, another must see place in Utah. This was another Instagram find courtesy of @shortstache. The location is a bit more well known only because it’s a night photographers dream. It has one of the darkest skies in the United States, making the milky way clearly visible to the naked eye. The eminent features are the hoodoos. The name came from the fact that a lot of them appear to be shaped like mushrooms/goblins and other mythical creatures. Walking amongst them is a very interesting experience. You feel strange like the rocks are alive and watching you. I remember getting shivers up my spine and constantly feeling like I had to look over my shoulder to ensure I wasn't being watched or followed.

Planning your trip:

When to go: Offseason October-May. Best time March.

How long to go: 1-2 weeks to make your way through Utah’s parks.

Best advice: take your time. Don’t rush anything. There’s so much to see and do. Plan out your route, decide the photos you would like to take. Try not to have an overly strict schedule, but always have a plan so you don’t waste time trying to figure one out. Utah is a beautiful state filled with places to visit. The landscapes will inspire you... Let them speak to you.