The next stop on our tour was Canyonlands National Park. Located only a few miles from Arches it offers an entirely different scenic wonderland. It is more wide open and wild. We had to watch for free range cows as we drove into the park. The main road follows a ridge top through the park with amazing vistas to each side.
This was looking to the east with the La Sal mountains in the background. Actually Arches National Park is between where we are and the mountains.
Another view to the east showing the rock layers exposed by erosion over eons of time.
This is looking to the southwest. The Green River is in the center. The ridge we are on actually runs between the Green River to the west and the Colorado River to the east. They flow together a little farther south of where we are to continue on as the Colorado.
This is a closer view of the Green River. At this point it is as large or larger than the Colorado which is only a few miles away. The views in this park are amazing. It is wide open and you can see for miles. This photo shows how the river erodes away the land to form the valleys.
The La Sals in the background make a beautiful scene.
This shows the wildness of the area. You can see for miles across the canyons to the mountains in the background.
More of the vast maze of canyons all flowing together eventually.
This is another side canyon opening eventually into the river. This whole area was explored in the early years of the white man. You can see trails and roads in some of the pictures which were used by the early miners and oil and gas exploration teams.
This park ranks right up near the top of our list as far as places we enjoyed the most. We both appreciated the vastness, wildness and raw natural beauty of the area.
