An aMAZEing trip to Canyonlands!

[Curly 1,317]

Devon and I joined some friends for a trip to the Maze district of Canyonlands in Utah.  This is the most remote section of the lower 48 states and it is spectacular. This was our 2nd visit but this time we made it out the Doll house area.

 

We drove down the flint switchbacks and out to the Maze overlook for our first night.  This was our view from our campsite, you camp right near the edge.

 

Its hard to capture a photo showing how rugged this area is but the reason it is called the maze should be obvious.

 

The next day it took us 8 hours to drive 40 miles, ironically to a view that looked back to the 1st camp.  We had to split our group up  that night because we couldn't get permits for all of us at the

same camp spot.  2 of us camped at Chimney rock while the rest camped at Doll house site #1.

Chimney rock:

 

Our sunset view from Chimney rock:

 

continued

[Curly 1,317]

Sunday morning we drove about 3 miles to join the others at the Doll House.  We had site #2.  The rock formations are pretty neat, but I think the views are much better at Chimney rock and other camp areas.

This is site #2, it was larger and better shaded.  The day was warm to start but then the wind came up very strong. Our tent was whipping all over the place.

 

Rock formations surrounding the camp.

 

This is the Mother and Child formation on the doll house trail.

 

I should mention the Doll house trail was rated very technical by the Rangers and I would agree.  I am happy to say that my Jeep handled the obstacles easily.  We took a day off traveling between driving into and out of the Doll house area.  Partly to let some people hike but also to take a break from bouncing around!

 

 

[Bradywgn71 1,008]

Thanks for sharing. What a beautiful area!! 

[Project510 24]

Wow, what a beautiful place! Looks like a very nice trip! Thanks for sharing the photos.

[ob1jeeper 849]

Fun trip for sure with some GREAT company...  ;)   Thanks for sharing the adventure Tim & Devon...  ;)

 

Dino quarry near Hanksville.   Femur of a Brontosaurus-like Dino...

 

Green River overlook from the Doll House Campsite...   The La Sal Mtn's near Moab in the far distance...

 

Granary from approximately 1200 years ago near the Doll House...

Edited May 25, 2025 by ob1jeeper

[Ladybug 699]

Great pics you guys!!!  Tim, you and Devon had the best view that second night out, at Chimney Rock!!!

smiles, ladybug

 

[Ladybug 699]

This was a most wondrous adventure!!!   I'll be posting more on dear FB, but this is a teaser!  IF you get a chance, get your permits and head to Canyonlands!!!   It is most unique and awesome!   We got to Hanksville early, and visited the Burpee Dinosaur Quarry (Steve's pic) and Mars Station, then hiked Little Horse Slot Canyon in San Rafael Swell.  

 

We went to the upper end of Capitol Reef National Park and visited the Temple of the Moon, Temple of the Sun, and Crystal Mountain.

 

 

We headed into the Maze District of Canyonlands....4 days, 3 nights.  Pack it in, pack it out.  We carried 14 gal of fuel and 5 gal water plus a case.  Pack a toilet.  Everyone had to pack fuel, worse since they closed Hite Marina, but we all made it! 

Tim and Steve have great pictures of this part of our trip.   Just one or two more... The trail in and out of Dollhouse was the most technical of what we went thru, but there's plenty of shelf roads and interesting hills to climb and canyons to circumvent...

 

 

 

 

After we exited those 4 days, some of us went over to Natural Bridges National Monument and hiked a bridge or two or three.  It was a cool and rainy day, and at the bottom of one bridge, it started snow/hail - commonly called grappel.

 

 

 

[Ladybug 699]

Tim and Devon headed home the next day, and the rest of us (3 jeeps -friends and family) headed to Green River.  We stayed in the Green River STate Park, which we highly recommend.  Went to the Black Dragon Pictograph the next day, and Crystal Fountain....And it was blowing!!  A rare event!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ladybug 699]

The next day we headed back into the upper end of San Rafael Swell. (north of I-70)  We headed into Cottonwood Wash,where we saw the Swinging Bridge, built by CCC and the first bridge to ever cross the San Rafael Swell.  We saw the amazing art of the Buckhorn Wash Pictograph Panel (its a huge panel), checked out dinosaur tracks, and went to the Little Grand Canyon of Utah.

 

 

 

 

On day 11 we traveled over to Sego, an old coal mining town.  On the way there we stopped at the Thompson Canyon Panel - another huge panel, and unique in that it had both petroglyphs and pictographs from 2 different cultures, and the Sego cemetary.  After Sego, we drove up to the end of Sego Canyon. (It stops at the fence to the Indian reservation).  We exited via Thompson Canyon, where our friends and family saw big horn sheep, and then down a really cool canyon, back to Green River.

 

 

 

 

[Ladybug 699]

AND THEN!!!! - another permit needed!!  3 days and 2 nights on the White Rim Trail - the part of Canyonlands called Island in the Sky.  It covers 7500 ft of elevation change!  You drop down off the top from the visitor center, using Shafer Trail.  We went down the Shafer Trail (not a difficult trail), stood at the Musselman Arch, and drove the trail down the Lathrop Canyon to the Colorado River.

 

 

Those are the beautiful LaSal Mountains in the distance.  It had rained the day before we entered the park, and dumped lots more snow in the mountains.  Colorado River is below us.

 

Its at the bottom of the Lathrop Trail that we saw our first park ranger.  He was checking on vegetation and permits.

 

The next day was long, as our campsite was all the way over at the other end, by the Green River.  Basically the White Rim trail runs along the Colorado, above the Confluence, and then back up along the Green River.  We circumvented some more canyons - and then beheld the wonder of Monument Basin.