A grand canyon, but not that one

©2013 Lydia Hinshaw

View from Island in the Sky

Several mountain bikers are mere dots on a road far below

 MOAB, UT -- How did we miss this last time?
 With all our western wandering, including a previous visit to Moab in 2010, we'd never managed to visit Canyonlands National Park.
 Granted, Canyonlands is not the easiest park to see.  It's huge, and most of it is accessible only by four-wheel-drive vehicle, mountain bike, hiking boots or inflatable boat.  You won't find gift shops or gas stations or lodges or shuttle buses.  The one campground that's fairly close to Moab has only 12 sites and no water -- you have to bring your own.  It's almost always full from spring through fall.
  One of the areas that can be accessed by car is the Island in the Sky district, a plateau where you can see Grand-Canyon-caliber scenery without the crowds.
 We spent the afternoon there Monday, driving from overlook to overlook, taking several short hikes and wondering why we didn't come here three years ago, when we spent most of our time at nearby Arches National Park.
 We will not make that mistake again.