Needles District - Canyonlands

The most weird, wonderful, magical place on earth, there is nothing like it anywhere. Edward Abbey

Columns, spires, castles and battlement towers of white stone stand upon red bases in southeastern Canyonlands. Underwater sand bars inter-fingered with red dunes form the candy-cane striped Cedar Mesa spires. An elemental poetry. Named for these colorful needles that dominate the area; there are also entrenched canyons, natural arches, grassy parks, and valleys formed by rock faulting.

The Needles has 50 miles of challenging backcountry roads that access campsites, hiking trails, and archeological sites. All of these roads require high-clearance, four-wheel-drive vehicles. The Needles District also offers over sixty miles of interconnecting hiking trails as challenging as they are rewarding. At night the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park has the darkest, star-filled skies visible anywhere in the U.S.