Utah’s 5 NPs are without parallel for beauty. California has 5 and Alaska 8 but no state
can match the grandeur and proximity of Southern Utah’s mighty 5. Zion is an outdoor cathedral, the only NP
where you are looking heavenwards rather than from the rim down. Bryce is small but it packs a punch with its
extraordinary hoodoos. Arches is
probably next in spectacular rock creations.
Canyonlands is the biggest in geography dwarfing the others and it is a
showcase of geology. But like the Grand
Canyon which it resembles, Canyonlands offers the best opportunity for
sightseeing by vehicle without strenuous hikes.
The overlooks along the scenic drives are hovering 1,000ft above the
surrounding terrain providing spectacular views of canyon after canyon below. The Green River has carved a channel out of
rock layers deposited nearly 300m years ago. These photos are all taken at Canyonlands.
Mesa
Butte
Driving along Utah’s scenic highways you see wonderful mesas and buttes all along the way. Both are flat topped raised structures but a butte is narrower than it is wide whereas a mesa is wider than its height.
Lower down in Canyonlands the two big rivers, Green and the
Colorado Rivers meet and join up carving the geological layer cake.
Capitol Reef is the 5th NP but we were a little underwhelmed by it in comparison to the others. We have now been to all 5 NP - Arches coming up in the next posting. The red rock splendour of Southern Utah's NPs remind us of Western Australia.
It's probably because it's all red and it's all rock. That's probably why such places don't have mad gunmen, yacht races or bridge clubs, but you can live in hope.
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