Island in the Sky, also known as Between the Rivers, is the most visited and easily reached area of Canyonlands, being close to the town of Moab and Arches National Park. It is the highest section of the national park, at an average elevation of 6,100 feet, and the access road passes many breathtaking viewpoints of the deep twisting canyons at either side, plus a dozen paths and trails. Just before the park boundary, a turn-off leads to Dead Horse State Park, which was established some time before Canyonlands and offers an alternative viewpoint of the canyons to the northeast.
The Scenic Drive: The flat land at the top of the Island in the Sky section becomes narrower towards the south as the river confluence approaches. After the visitor center and entrance station (fees $10 per vehicle in 2007 - good for all areas of the park), the first viewpoint is over Shafer Canyon to the east, a steep drainage containing a rough 4WD track that descends to the Colorado, becomes paved at the mining settlement of Potash and joins US 191 just north of Moab. To the west, the land drops away at the head of another canyon (Taylor), leaving quite a narrow strip of land in between (The Neck), but the plateau widens for the next few miles as the road crosses a flat meadow known as Grays Pasture, the original name for this whole area. The next canyon on the east (Trail) causes the plateau to split into 2 forks, as does the scenic drive. The west road leads past the main campground and an overlook of the Green River, both at Willow Flat, then descends gradually to the end of the mesa at Upheaval Dome. Also near the road junction is the short trail to Mesa Arch, a graceful span of Navajo sandstone framing distant canyons to the northeast.
Grand View Point: The remaining 5 miles of the main road cross a rather narrower plateau, past several overlooks, including Buck Canyon, Candlestick Tower, Murphy Point, Gooseberry Canyon and the Orange Cliffs. The park road ends at Grand View Point, which offers magnificent vistas across the Colorado canyons and the spires of Monument Basin, to the distant La Sal mountains in the east and the Needles area to the south. A further one mile, 20 minute walk southwards leads to the very end point of the Island in the Sky plateau, where the cliffs drop away in all directions, and the canyons of both rivers can be seen. The actual confluence point is hidden, but can be reached by a long trail starting in the Needles section, or a path from the White Rim Road.
The White Rim: The White Rim is a wide flat plateau halfway in height between the Island in the Sky and the Green/Colorado rivers, formed by a layer of white sandstone much more resistant to erosion than the strata above or below. A 100 mile track built by uranium prospectors after World War 2 winds along the edge of the rim; driving the full distance is said to take 2 days and a few parts require 4WD. A reservations system operates to regulate the limited number of primitive camp sites. This was the road featured at the end of the film Thelma and Louise, when the heroines drove over the edge, apparently thinking that they had found the Grand Canyon.
Hotels: The nearest town with hotels close to the Island in the Sky district of Canyonlands is Moab.
Satellite Photo/Map: Above Grand View Point, at the end of the scenic drive on the Island in the Sky:
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More Information
Hiking - hikes and trails in the Island in the Sky
Upheaval Dome - a colorful, volcano-like crater |
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