Island in the Sky

Ted Mahon taking in the view in Island in the Sky — At the White Rim Overlook.

The weather was forecasted to be pretty nice. I was looking for a little change of scenery. A mid-winter trip to the desert just felt like the right thing to do.

I packed up some things and headed to Utah, to the Island in the Sky District of Canyonlands National Park. It’s a busy place in spring and fall. But in the middle of February… I would have it mostly to myself.

Part of the goal was get out on some dry hikes. Most of the trails at home were all snow covered, and I was looking to get out for some longer outings than were available in February in Colorado.

But I was also bringing my camera gear, because Island in the Sky is an awesome spot for photos. So long as you have clear weather and get the big desert views.

Desert photography at Island in the Sky — The day started in the clouds, which is kind of unusual for the desert. Here at Mesa Arch, all that could be seen was sand, rock, and some Pinyons and Junipers.

The skies soon cleared, and the views returned. Here, at the Buck Canyon Overlook, you can gaze down at the White Rim and of course, Buck Canyon.

Island in the Sky can feel like a “driving park” where you do a lot of road cruising to the pretty views. But if you want to get out on your feet and hit the trails, there are actually a lot of options. Take a look at the park map and you can see what I mean.

Island in the Sky brochure of the roads, trails, and overlooks. — A map of the district. Click to enlarge.

There are a lot of long out-and-back hikes that descend from the mesa down to the White Rim Road on the shelf below. You can also find some fun loop hikes like the Neck Spring Trail that keep you closer to the road.

You can also consider the 10 mile Syncline Loop around Upheaval Dome. That one might be my favorite in the district.

Murphy Hogback Trail — At the start of the descent down the trail to Murphy’s Hogback.

Some years back, Christy and I put together a longer trail running loop nearby that ended at Upheaval Dome. You can read about it here- Alcove Spring to Upheaval Dome. It’s a good one if you have all day and are looking for something a little longer.

The view from the Shafer Trail Overlook. — The afternoon view from the Shafer Trail Overlook.

An old gnarled Juniper tree. — An old gnarled Juniper tree, a familiar sight around here.

Monument Basin and the White Rim. — Monument Basin and the very distinct White Rim, as seen from the White Rim Overlook. The Colorado River is out there winding through the deep canyons.

One more nice thing about visiting the desert in winter is that the campgrounds are all empty. There’s no need to scramble for a spot to overnight, like you often need to do in October. After the sun went down I casually headed over to the Willow Flat campground and had my pick of the spots.

Camping at Willow Flat in the Island in the Sky. — Just me, a campfire, and whole ton of stars.

The Milky Way seen at Island in the Sky. — It was a new moon, another perk to making the trip. The stars were insane.

The next morning, I went down the road to the Green River Overlook for some photos. It’s amazing how big the views are out there.

The view from the Green River Overlook. — You can see the Maze District far out to the left, and the Green River meanders in the valley below. If you look right of center you can see the Turks Head formation, and above it in the background is the Navajo Dome called Cleopatra’s Chair.

A close up of Ekker Butte, and Elaterite Butte, back to the left. These buttes are on the other side of the Green River, in the Maze.

And it wouldn’t be complete without a trip to get the morning shot of Mesa Arch. The day before it was obscured by clouds. Good thing I had two nights out here so I could wait to get it right!

It was so nice I think I am going to make a mid-winter trip to Utah an annual thing. Click through the gallery below to see some of the full screen photos.