Sometime in March, after the break in the long Canadian Winter, I begin to dream about Southern Utah's Canyonlands National Park, a place that I first visited 25 years ago.

I visit the park during the spring, April to May, and fall, September to October, seasons -- times of moderate temperatures (60 - 90 degrees F).

The Anasazi , a people who made their homes and dreamed their drams in the canyonlands prehistory, left records of their dreams in the form of rock art and ruins. Today's visitors enjoy it in a variety of ways including hiking, rafting, biking, 4-wheeling, photographing, ruin visiting, and just plain driving through and looking. My preference is day hiking with a small pack.

While there are the usual conflicts between the various users -- I think that each visitor can not help but experience the special spirit of Utah's canyonlands parks.

The links at the right contain photographs and information about Canyonlands National Park and the written expressions of some of the many canyonlands visitors who have left records in the forms of pictographs, petroglyphs, stories, photographs, art, poetry, notes on flora and fauna, geology guides, travel services, and pleas for help in conserving portions of this great region.

Feel free to contact me if you would like information about visiting these regions. I hope that you enjoy this virtual visit and real journeys in Utah's Slickrock Country.

Dedications:

  • Bates Wilson, Past Superintendent of Arches National Park [then National Mounument] and first champion of Canyonlands National Park. Secretary of the Interior Stuart Udall who made the political process work for the creation of the park.
  • The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance : A group of dedicated conservationists. If you care about canyonlands, send a contribution to help with the work.
  • David Brower who led the Sierra Club in the fight to prevent the damming of the Grand Canyon.
  • Edward Abbey whose spirited writing raised public awareness about the uniqueness of slickrock country.
  • The Anasazi whose cliff dwellings hauntingly remind us of our humble origins.

~ Ray Rasmussen

canyonlands Slideshow
canyonlands Wildflower Images
canyonlands Anasazi Images
canyonlands About the Anasazi
canyonlands Rock Art
canyonlands About Canyonlands
canyonlands 4-Corners Parks
canyonlands 4-Corners Maps
canyonlands Weather
canyonlands Articles & Stories
canyonlands Photo Pages
canyonlands Guiding
canyonlands Environmental
canyonlands Rays Web Pages
canyonlands Email

 

 

   

Canyonlands National Park, Utah, Slick Rock Country, Photography and Information web site. A slideshow providing a visual tour especially through the Needles District of Canyonlands with some images from the Maze and Island-in-the-Sky Districts and from Horseshoe Canyon. Also information on the Anasazi or Pueblo Cliff Dwellers and their rock art in the form of petroglyphs and pictograms.