Utah, I love you.
Backpacking in Canyonlands National Park, Utah
In the summer of 2020, a good friend and I decided to head out of town and get our feet on a trail. Some lockdown restrictions had lifted and we were able to fly, so with some stimulus cash and unused airline miles, we prepared to head out of state. I had another friend that lived in Utah at the time so it seemed like the perfect excuse to explore a part of the country I’d never seen before and get the chance to visit a dear friend all in one long weekend.
After scouring the internet and the AllTrails app looking for the perfect overnight backpacking trip, I landed on a trail in the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park near Moab, Utah. I’d never seen desert quite like that before and the terrain was completely different from any other place I’d backpacked. I couldn’t wait!
After a short flight, we landed in Salt Lake City, picked up a rental car, and explored town for a while waiting for Katie to get off from work and meet at her place. That evening we cracked open a few IPAs, swapped stories, got caught up on each other’s lives, and my friend and I shared our travel plans with Katie. It was a perfect way to end the night before getting to bed early so we could catch some sleep before a 5 hour drive the next morning. It was tough to get a good night’s sleep for all the excitement I had swelling up in my chest but we left Katie’s place around 4 a.m. to hit the road to southern Utah.
Utah is an incredibly, and unbelievably beautiful place. It has just about everything you can imagine for outdoor recreation except for ocean access. We wove through deep red canyons and mountain ranges on our way south and finally arrived at Canyonlands National Park a little after 10 a.m. itching to get on the trail.
After checking in at the visitor center and asking some questions about recent weather (the temps were over 100 each day), we drove to the trailhead, filled our reservoirs with ice and cold water, double checked we had everything we needed, and set off. While it was pretty hot and the temperatures coming off the rocks were over 130 degrees each day, the air was extremely dry so it felt nothing like the heavy, humid Texas heat we were accustomed to. The main thing we needed to avoid was hiking too long in the direct sun as the entire trail is completely exposed. We had been advised from park staff to find shade (if possible) in the afternoon and try to wrap up our hikes in the earlier hours of the day before the sun was at its highest point and to drink plenty of water. Desert heat in August is no joke! I had done some research before the trip and we both came prepared with about 6 liters of water each. It was heavy to carry but totally worth it.
The Needles District in Canyonlands National Park is like no place I’ve ever seen. It is otherworldly. There are rock formations layered with shades of deep red to light sand and they show lines of age on their faces. There are formations that have changed shape from winds carving them over time and archways that are similarly molded over years of enduring winds and weather. The park is filled with them and each one is just as breathtaking and unique as the very first. I was captivated by all of it. The views, the rock, the space. It seemed infinite and myself so small and finite within. I’d never seen colors quite so magnificent as the ones in the desert. I’d never seen rock that appeared to change color as the light through the day changed, or deep sage green plants pushing through red rock fighting to find sunlight. I’d never known that a desert could look like that. It was arguably the most beautiful and vast place I had ever set foot in.
We took our time on the nearly 5 mile hike in to camp, stopping to take pictures and admire the view more times than we could count. We arrived at our campsite in the early afternoon hours when the sun was at its highest point in the sky but we’d picked a site that sat between two enormous boulders so they provided shade throughout the entire day depending on where you sat. I don’t know that I’d ever been so happy to find shade. We set up our tents and chairs, ate some food, and went to explore other trails around camp to see more of the park before the sun started to go down. Seated on top of one of the boulders at camp, I still couldn’t believe the view. The horizon seemed to stretch out endlessly before me and I knew my eyes were only taking in one small little piece of the vast corner of space I was in. That night, we stayed up to stargaze and saw a night sky filled with so many stars it didn’t seem real. We saw shooting stars, more constellations than we could hope to name, and the clearest view of the milky way galaxy streaking across the the black sky. It was magic and possibly my favorite backpacking trip to date. Hiking out the following morning, we were kicking ourselves for not having planned a longer trip, but the promise of cheeseburgers and any drink containing ice quickly overtook our feelings of regret. If you’re ever in Moab and in need of a burger and fries, Milt’s Stop & Eat is the spot.
Before that trip, I would have never called myself a desert dweller. I favored the forests in mountains; shrouded in trees with speckled sunlight and ample shade. This desert, however, was something completely new. It was the first place I could ever remember being where the view spanned for seemingly endless miles. Where deep red rock touched bright blue sky and the terrain looked to be from another planet. It was other worldly. And there I was right in the midst of it; a tiny speck in this magnificent place trying to drink it all in.
Since that trip I’ve visited other desert regions in the southwest corner of the U.S. and each one has been incredible to behold. It’s safe to say I’m forever a desert gal.