Photo Tips USA – Canyonlands NP -The Needles

• Altitude between 1487 m and 1536 m (4,878-5,039 ft)

How, Where, What

Unlike the height of the Island in the Sky Mesa, down here in the south, you find yourself once again in the heart of it, virtually surrounded by the landscape. The dimensions become tangible again, and that sense of connection that comes with proximity sets in. – Proximity to this wild ensemble of over 100 m (330 ft) high sandstone walls crowned with pointed pinnacles. Cut almost perpendicularly from the colored Cedar Mesa formation by vertical fractures. Sunrises and sunsets intensify their natural red coloration into something unreal.

The Needles Outpost, just inside the park boundary, is the only place to get gas and food in this remote area. It is open from the beginning of March to the end of October between 07:00 and 19:00 and offers camping, jeep rentals, guided tours, and sightseeing flights in a tiny plane. Just a stone’s throw away are the Needles Area Visitor Center and the simple Squaw Flat Campground.

Motifs along the Scenic Road

The Scenic Road is the only paved road in the Needles. It runs 8 mi from the visitor center, first southwest across the Squaw Flat plain between Big Spring Canyon and Squaw Canyon to Squaw Flat Campground, and then north to the Big Spring Canyon Overlook.

Directly at the visitor center, a 4WD dirt road branches northwest off the park road. It reaches the Lower Jump at Kilometer 4.8 (Mile 3) and the Colorado River Overlook at Kilometer 11.2 (Mile 7). The last offers a wonderful panoramic view of the river in the light of the afternoon sun.

The Roadside Ruin Parking Area, located on the other side of the Scenic Route, is just a short distance beyond this turnoff. A short trail there will take you to the remains of an old Pueblo supply depot.

The next stop is Wooden Shoe Arch Overlook, from which you can see the eponymous rock arch with its small, tunnel-like opening.

At the junction of Scenic Road and Elephant Hill Road, which continues west, you will have a good view of the Needles to the west. You need to be here as early in the morning as possible, when the sun is still low in the east and bathes the formations in warm, soft light.

Continuing north, you will reach Pothole Point after a good 3.2 km (2 mi). Here you will find an interesting collection of natural waterholes that, if a little filled, make nicely reflective subjects. Along the 800 m (0.5 mi) loop trail, there are some nice patches of cryptobiotic crust to see (also called biological soil crust). This is a thin, dark brown soil coating of cyanobacteria, lichens, mosses, and algae. This natural layer protects the soil from erosion and absorbs moisture. This makes it a good substrate for plant settlement and even the basis of all life in the desert. It is very fragile and should not be walked on.

The Slickrock Trail starts just a short distance from the road’s end. It leads as a 4 km (2.5 mi) long loop trail (about 2 hours) along the edges of the mesa to its top and offers very rewarding views of Big Spring Canyon and the Needles below. The first viewpoint is reached after 800 m (0.5 mi). It is a 1A sunset location because it looks east to the wide field of rock pinnacles and the Manti-La Sal Mountains. The second viewpoint at the turnaround point of the trail is a little closer to the Needles and offers a very good view of the Island in the Sky Mesa to the northwest. Bighorn sheep are often seen on this part of the plateau.

Compared to the views along the Slickrock Trail, Big Spring Canyon Overlook itself falls mightily short. So give it a miss in favor of the loop hike.

Motifs at Squaw Flat and Big Spring Canyon

The Squaw Flat Campground can be reached via the third turnoff from the Scenic Road, shortly after the bend where the road turns north again. The Big Spring Canyon Trail begins there, reaching an overlook with a beautiful view of the Needles after only 1.5 km (0.9 mi). This is a wonderful place for sunrise, looking down on the then red glowing mile-long rows of the Needles. Focal lengths between 135 and 200 mm are good for condensing perspective, and a polarizing filter emphasizes the relief of the rock pinnacles.

Motifs at Elephant Hill and Chesler Park

Chesler Park in the southwest of the Needles is a dense, grassy depression with a remarkable number of extremely colorful rock pinnacles that erosion has carved out of the Cedar Mesa sandstone. You can reach this part from the Elephant Hill Rest Area, which is five unpaved kilometers (3 mi) west of Squaw Flat Campground.

One way to take in the formations is at the elevated Chesler Park Viewpoint, reached via the Chesler Park Trail (9.6 km / 6 mi roundtrip, minimum 3 hours) from the Elephant Hill Parking Area. If you want to get closer to the peaks in Chesler Park, shining in the fine afternoon light, you have to descend into the hollow from Chesler Park Viewpoint and walk around it on the 8 km trail (5 mi). You can get especially close to the formations by following the short turnoff to campsites CP3-CP5. All in all, there are 17.6 km (11 mi) to walk to Elephant Hill and back. This distance may seem daunting, but it’s actually quite manageable, as the majority of the route passes through relatively level terrain. Nevertheless, it will take you the longest part of a day to do it. Start as early as possible in the morning to shoot the then beautifully lit Needles from the first part of the trail. The afternoon should be devoted to Chesler Park itself, whose formations will then be in the best light.

Motifs: The Confluence Overlook

The Confluence Overlook offers a direct view of the confluence of the Green River and Colorado River. You can walk it from the Big Spring Canyon Overlook on a 7.2 km long trail (4.5 mi). If you want to take advantage of the sunset here for a spectacular photo, the 10.8 km (6.7 mi) 4WD trail from Elephant Hill Parking Area should be your preference. However, this is a challenging trail, and if you don’t trust your driving skills, it is better to join someone who has enough experience. By the way, you can see exactly where the two streams mix: The Colorado’s water is clay brown, while the Green River’s color matches its name. The only direct access to the Colorado River is the Lower Red Lake Canyon Trail (30 km/18.6 mi round trip from Elephant Hill Trailhead, 427 m/1400 ft elevation gain). It leads through the rift valley formation and through Red Lake Canyon, steeply down to the river. With a permit, you can camp for several nights.

Motives in Salt Creek Canyon and Horse Canyon

Cave Spring is the gateway to the truly wild southeast of the Needles. A few hundred meters after Roadside Ruin, a spur road branches off to the south from the Scenic Road, which continues as a dirt road to Cave Spring. A circular hiking trail only a few hundred meters long takes you to a small grotto where there are some rock paintings and, as a kind of open-air museum, an old cowboy camp. At Cave Spring, the 4WD track branches off to the south to Salt Creek Canyon and Horse Canyon. However, the western section into Salt Creek Canyon has been closed to vehicle traffic from the Peekaboo Campground for several years in order to protect the sensitive environment.

If you want to explore the area, you need, first of all, an off-road vehicle and, second, a permit from the Visitor Center. Information on applying for and reserving permits is available from the park administration on its website. During peak season, there is a significant rush, making it difficult to secure a Next Day Permit on site.

After 4 km (2.5 mi), the 4WD track forks into an eastern and western arm. The eastern arm, Horse Canyon Road, leads to Paul Bunyan’s Pottery (5.1 km / 3.2 mi) and Tower Ruin (7.7 km / 4.8 mi), an Anasazi ruin high in a rock nest. At its southern end are the three rock arches, Gothic, Castle and Fortress Arch, which can only be reached on foot. You should not tackle this track without a proper four-wheel drive. After 6.4 km (4 mi) you will reach Paul Bunyan’s Pottery. Paul Bunyan is a mythical figure, a lumberjack of immense size and strength. Such a person would have undoubtedly enjoyed their time here, as the formation known by this name is a magnificent Pothole Arch. This genus does not denote a real rock arch, but a rock formation with an opening „in the roof“, created by water that made a once small drain grow bigger and bigger. A real toy for giants! This specimen stands out with its strikingly drawn Dessert Varnish. At Kilometer 7.2 (Mile 4.5), a 800 m (0.5 mi) turnoff leads east to Tower Ruin, the remains of a pueblo below a rock balcony. Follow the short trail to its end, from where you can shoot the remains with a telephoto lens. Going further up is prohibited. At Kilometer 13.7 (Mile 8.5), a footpath goes off to the right for 550 m (600 yd) to Castle Arch. A little further on, a second trail leads to Fortress Arch. Both trails are primarily of interest to those who wish to explore every aspect.

The western arm of the Salt Creek Canyon Road winds its way 17.6 km (11 mi) further south to Angel Arch. But, as mentioned, it is closed for vehicles from Peekaboo Campground. To see the wonderful Angel Arch, you have to hike 16 km (9.9 mi) from here. To do this, take the turnoff to the east after 13.5 km (8.4 mi). After another 3 km (1.8 mi) you will reach your destination. There, you will also encounter the intriguing formation known as Molar Rock, which bears a striking resemblance to a large molar. Molar Rock looks very good in the foreground of Angel Arch. The best light here is in the early morning, so you should camp near the formations to catch them really well.

Minimum program and daily schedule

Any side trip to the Needles Section should involve at least two overnights to approximate this diverse area. Then you can conveniently combine Big Spring Canyon Overlook, Confluence Overlook, and a trip down Salt Creek Road. If you can’t get to this area because of time constraints, you should at least make the 103 km (64 mi) detour from Moab to Needles Overlook to see the rows of pointed rock pinnacles shining in the evening light.

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