Looking for a change of scenery so heading to the Moab area for the week-end. Today, I'm driving down and visiting Island in the Sky (Canyonlands National Park) to hike the Murphy Point Trail. It's one trail that I have not hiked yet at this park.
I arrive at the park around 11 am. A quick stop at the Visitor's Center and then I'm on my way to the trail head.
It's sunny today but the temps are only in the 40s.
There's a good number of folks around but not crowded.
All of the plants are, of course, dead some with seed heads still present. Some look pretty cool!
I pass an old corrals along the way.
There are also cactus's -- I'm not sure if this is an old bloom or broken cactus parts.
And there's biological soil - please stay off!
And critter tracks in the sandy soil!
There are spots where it's close enough to take a peek at the canyon. Hey, there's the Colorado River down there!
Along the way, I see a few lizards - very tiny baby lizards.
And a couple of really fat chipmunks - both sprinting across the landscape.
Finally, I reach what appears to the overlook and I stop to look around.
But it's not the end, there's a path that continues to a rocky outcropping. I continue on.
This trail is a mix of dirt and slickrock; just following the cairns out to that outcropping. Awesome!
I stop for a bit before heading back. Many more lizards out now.
After completing the trail, I had over to the end of the road at Grandview Overlook.
There's a one mile trail here but I pass, I've been on it before.
So I start the drive back stopping at the trail for White Rim. It's 0.9 miles one-way and start off. I have been on this one before, but it's a cool little trail and worth doing again.
There's more rock formations on this trail which I like.
Soon, some canyon views are near enough to check out.
Time to head back
Excuse me, one more at the Colorado Overlook.
It's about 3pm and it's been a long day, time to find my hotel. It'll take over an hour to get there.
