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When someone says National Parks and Utah you most likely think of national parks like Arches, Canyonlands, Bryce, Zion and perhaps even Capitol Reef. Did you know that southern Utah has six other national park units celebrating some of the best cultural and natural wonders in the state?<br>
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Going beyond the Mighty Five National Parks in Utah When someone says National Parks and Utah you most likely think of national parks like Arches, Canyonlands, Bryce, Zion and perhaps even Capitol Reef. Did you know that southern Utah has six other national park units celebrating some of the best cultural and natural wonders in the state? In the fall of 2014 I made it my goal along with my parents to visit all the park units in Southern Utah to enjoy the diversity of landscapes and cultures the National Park System and other federal agencies protect in the region. We joined a guided tour for the first part which focused on Arches and Canyonlands which you may know has set records for visitation in the last few years which may result in a reservation system to enter the park. The advantage of being with a group is that our guides know many of the secret spots in the park and when to go to them to minimize interaction with the crowds. A prime example is once we arrived to Moab, the gateway town for both parks, instead of heading into Arches during the busiest time for visitors we instead continued a bit farther west to the northern entrance of Canyonlands and the Island of the Sky District. Views don’t get much better than this region of the park which allows you to look south and follow the path of the Colorado River as it winds its way through the park. On our way back to Moab we ducked into Arches as the crowds had decreased with late afternoon arriving. This provides a great opportunity to drive the 16 mile road in the park and get an overview from our guides of the many rock formations the park protects and that we would be taking a closer look at the next morning. Getting an early start is key to beat the morning rush in Arches. With just a few hours you can work your way from the northern end of the park and walk amongst the arches in the famous Devil’s Garden to taking a stroll out to Delicate Arch where the sheer size of the arch makes everyone look like ants to enjoying a loop hike in the Windows section of the park where you can sit under one of the windows and enjoy the warmth of the sun all before the parking lots and trails begin to fill up. Another benefit to an early start is it gives you time to explore outside the park in neighboring land protected by Bureau of Land Management (BLM) where we tried our hand at canyoneering. Now for someone like me who is not a big fan of heights strapping on a harness and rappelling down into a slot canyon where I cannot see the bottom was a frightening but in the end one of the most amazing experiences I have ever done. It was made even better when you exit the canyon in a slot not much wider than your whole body and it instantly opens into a vista farther than the
eye can see. Just when I thought the day couldn’t get any better we rappelled right under a huge arch where once again you feel the magnitude of the landscape around you and realize we each are just one small part of a much larger planet. We had seen Canyonlands from above but now it was time to get down to the ground level and go to the Needles District of the park. On your way into the eastern entrance of Canyonlands make sure you stop off at Newspaper Rock State Historic Monument in one of our nation’s newest national monuments, Bears Ears, where you can see one of the largest collections of petroglyphs in the country dating back over 2,000 years. As you drive deeper into the park you will be welcomed by cliff walls that give you a true sense of where the park gets its name of Canyonlands because as far as your eye you can see you will see one canyon after another. After saying farewell to our guides and our group it was time to explore some of Utah’s lesser known parks starting with Hovenweep National Monument. The park transports you back in time to the home of over 2,500 people who lived in the area from A.D. 1200-1300. You can walk amongst historic structures on a short mostly paved loop trail including homes, storage towers, and see buildings built right into the side of the canyon. Although technically across the border in Colorado we stopped at Canyons of the Ancients, protected by BLM, to learn even more about the people that lived in this region for over 10,000 years. Visiting both sites give you a true sense of the region and the hardships the Puebloan people had to endure to survive in the area. For more info visit, https://www.blacksheepadventures.com/going-beyond-the-mighty-five- national-parks-in-utah
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