Canyonlands National Park – Shaffer Canyon

The third day of our Moab adventure was rainy and the clouds looked very stormy overhead.  We knew that off-roading was out of the picture for us, as the red sandy clay tends to be either very slick or very mucky, and it’s too easy to lose control and get very stuck!  So, Jeff suggested that we stick to the paved roads and check out the Canyonlands National Park section just a few miles away from Moab.  Canyonlands is actually very large and is split into three different sections – The Maze (which is very remote and wild with no facilities), The Needles (a diverse area of rock spires, arches, and canyons) and the Island in the Sky which has views to die for!  The Island in the Sky section is the area that we explored, and our first stop was along Shaffer Canyon.

Canyonlands View

The drive starts out innocuous enough, and it’s difficult to see at this stage what’s so special about Canyonlands.  But, just wait…….

Shafer Trail Overlook

Here’s our first view of the Shafer Trail.  Our original plan for the day was to drive the trail, but we had to be happy with viewing it from up high, something we hadn’t ever done.  Yes, it’s a long way down to get to the bottom of the canyon where the trail leads.

Stormy Tree

Before we get to more views of the trail, isn’t this a wonderful tree?  I loved the balance and symmetry of it, delicately growing on the very edge of the canyon rim.

Looking Down

We’re getting closer here to what I think is the best view of the trail.  This image gives you a good sense of how close to the edge you can get, and how wonderful the native growth and rock formations are right along the rim.

Shafer Trail

This is my favorite view of the Shafer Trail.  It literally winds via switchbacks up the side of the canyon wall!  It’s a really fun drive, as long as you don’t mind riding right on the edge of a long tumble down!  Looking at it made me disappointed that we didn’t get to drive it this time around.  Something to look forward to next time!

Enjoy!