Canyonlands National Park - Needles District

Once again, I got an early start to the day. I left the hotel before 7AM and stopped to eat breakfast at an advertised breakfast-only restaurant. My omelet would have been better without the BIG piece of broken hard-plastic inside! The staff apologized profusely and made me a new dish, even though I had eaten half the meal. They also compensated my meal, so I just left a tip for the waitress because it was not her fault. So if you eat at the Jailhouse Cafe in Moab, be careful of your food.

I headed south and followed the entrance to Canyonlands National Park. This was the Needles district. Before entering the park, there is a stop along the road where you can view an ancient petroglyphs on a rock.

I was the only one at the visitors center. The ranger said there were few people because of the heat. She highlighted the best places to see if a few hours. So I followed the map and stopped at each one. The trails were less than one mile at each site, which was good for my blister-ridden feet. The photo above is of a needle that this section of the park is named after.

The hike at Cave Springs was the best. The path led to this 1800s camping site underneath a large rock hangover. The trail then followed a path that required climbing two short ladders, nothing that required skill or had height issues.

To get to the best of the needles required a long hike or an off-road trail. I had done enough hiking and my car has four wheel drive, but it doesn't have the clearance or power that might have been required to traverse the dirt roads. So I zoomed in with my camera, that is why the features (on the second photo) look a little hazy.

I started to take another hike, but I was told by some hikers that it took two hours, and since it was starting to get very hot, I decided to cut the hike short and return to my car. I then drove out of the park and by 2 PM arrived at my hotel in Cortez, CO. My room wasn't ready yet, but by the time I put my clothes in the washer and read a brochure, my room was done. I've already found a brewery to dine at for dinner and will plan my day at Mesa Verde.