Glenwood Springs (Colorado) to Arches and Canyonland National Parks Robert Van Den Hoven, October 18, 2023October 18, 2023 Glenwood Springs (Colorado) to Canyonlands National Park (Utah) It constantly surprises us that Americans pull $ 100.000.00 USD trailers behind a huge SUV, drive big Motorhomes or converted touring cars, however they hardly ever invest in solar. Instead, they have a generator running all night. (SHIT, THIS ANNOYS US!!) They pull up, turn on the generator, go inside and close the door and are not to be seen till the next morning when they leave again. Complete disrespect for the neighbours who sit outside enjoying the bush and, in most cases, a nice campfire. If you like the aircon so much, and want to watch TV, then stay at home or park in a RV park. Not in a nice bush location. BUT, stating all this, I am a visitor in their country, so who am I to complain………. After a cold and rainy night in the forest north of Glenwood Springs we left early for the drive to Utah and our first destination: Arches National Park. It was raining, hence we decided against visiting Colorado’s National Monument. In nice weather we were told this is a very scenic road along the Rim Rock Drive. We arrived early and decided to camp just north of Arches National Park for a relaxed afternoon amongst great scenery. Arches National Park While at the fuel station on our way to Utah we were told Arches National Park now also has adopted a Timed Entry System, which sounds like a great idea when you sit behind a computer, however for around the world travellers like us without constant internet or an itinerary it is hard to book 3 or 6 months ahead! Anyway, that night while using Starlink we were able to book our entry for the following day. (We hear many people book several dates 3 to 6 months ahead and only turn up at one or not at all). It is easily done as the booking cost is just $2.00. I propose this should be increased to $100.00 USD and the rebate given once you show up at the time you nominated 6 months ago. With over 2 million people visiting Arches National Park, the park is very popular and busy at times. The park has the densest concentration of natural stone arches in the world. In fact, the park has over 2000 arches. The scenic drive in Arches NP passes many amazing natural features, but make sure you travel early as parking is limited in many places. The most impressive parts of the park are the Windows section, Delicate Arch, Wolf Ranch, Park Avenue Viewpoint, Le Sal Mountains Viewpoint and Devils Garden. Balance Rock is one of the three iconic features in the park. The other most popular and Iconic feature is the Windows Section. With its large concentration of arches this is also the busiest part of the park. Devil’s Garden is where we found the longest arch in North America with a light opening of 93.3 meters. To get away from the crowds drive the unpaved and 4WD tracks. The Salt Valley Road was classified by others as 4WD and high clearance, however this is not the case. If it is dry, it is a 2WD track. The other tracks do require 4WD at some sections and on the steep grades with loose rocks and soft sand. Driving around we discovered a landscape of contrasting colours, landforms, and textures unlike any other. Hundreds of soaring pinnacles, massive rock fins, giant balanced rocks, and thousands of arches. This is why Arches National Park is also called Red Rock Wonderland. After we left Arches National Park fellow overlanders told us of an amazing location just before the entrance to Canyonlands. Here we ventured 5 kilometres of the beaten track (4WD) and found an amazing camp spot with magnificent views of the park’s Island in the Sky area and surrounding public lands. Bush Camping Canyonlands National Park From here we entered the park and enjoyed all the panoramic views more than 350 meters above the surrounding landscape. The view from Grand Viewpoint covers a large part of this part of the Canyon Lands National Park and the Green River. If time permits a great 4WD trip runs through the valley via the White Rim Road. (PERMIT REQUIRED) Canyonlands National Park is the largest National Park in Utah. Canyonlands is a wilderness of Rock in the heart of the Colorado Plateau. The park offers a colourful landscape eroded into numerous canyons. At the centre are 2 canyons carved by the Green and Colorado River. The park is divided into four districts: the Island in the Sky, the Needles, the Maze, and the combined Green and Colorado rivers. In the island in the Sky part of the park, the White Rim Road is the most popular Off-Road track between the rivers and the Island in the Sky. Since 2016 you do require a permit for this track. Highlights: Island in the Sky part of the Canyonlands, Mesa Arch/Upheaval Dome. Highlights: Island in the Sky part of the Canyonlands, Mesa Arch/Upheaval Dome. The Needles area is suited for those who love to go OFF ROAD, driving the rugged, remote trails within the park. 80% of all visitors only visit the northern part of Canyonlands. (Island in the Sky) Only 17.4% visits the southern part of Canyonlands. The remaining 2.6% visit the Maze part and are river rafters. Enroute to the southern Part of Canyonlands National Park we stopped in the Off Road Capital of UTAH called Moab. Moab is known for its breathtaking red rock landscapes that surround this stunning destination. With a population of just over 5000 people, the town is a popular base for off roaders, mountain bikers and has the annual Moab Jeep Safari. In the 1950’s Moab became the Uranium Capital of the world. This was at the same time of nuclear weapons and nuclear power. The city population doubled year after year. The explosion in population caused much construction of houses and schools. As the cold war wound down so did Moab’s Uranium boom. The population declined, and by 1980 most uranium mines had closed, and many homes stood empty. In recent years Tourism increased and Moab has become a tourist town full of holiday homes and tour companies. Moab attracts year-round outdoor events and festivals, has lots of restaurants, microbreweries, shops, and galleries. The cultural events and festivals include the Moab Music Festival, LGBT Pride Festival, Folk Festival, Skinny Tire Festival, and others. In the early 1990s several musicians from the East Coast started a music festival which until today is held every September. The folk festival is held in November. Lots of BLM land with scenic rivers and forest allows for lots of bush camping here. Next stop was the southern Part of Canyonlands National Park called The Needles. This part is named for the Cedar Mesa sandstone spires that jut up from the landscape. This part of the Canyonlands offers more than 80 kilometres of rugged off-road tracks with amazing scenery. Being relative remote you are away from the crowds who visit Arches and the Island in the Sky part of Canyonlands. The remote Maze district accounts for only about 1.5 percent of visitors, while river rafters and other river users account for the remaining 1.1 percent of total park visitation. Highlights of The Needles are: Big Spring Canyon, Cave Spring, Pothole Point and Slickrock Till next time when we re-enter Colorado, this time exploring South West Colorado. Latest Update