I like big Buttes and I can not lie

Yes Sir Mix a lot inspired my title and this new sticker I got from Made in Moab. This post is about our second stop at Canyloands National Park in Moab.

I remember first seeing these rock formations on my television when I was I think 5 years old in the form of a cartoon when Fievel Goes West and being impressed by how large they appeared and how different this world looked versus the flat city of Miami l lived in at the time. Little did I know it would take about two decades to really see these formations in person.

It took a bit longer to get to Canyonlands from Moab but it is worth the drive out there, the landscape is just amazing. It snowed a few days earlier but thankfully the roads were fine to drive on. It's crazy to think about how the earth has lifted these massive skyscrapers out of the Colorado Plateau in Utah to be further carved and eroded by the Colorado and Green Rivers.

Our hike took place in one of the four districts of the park called the needle district. The needles got their layers from the opposing force of the salt and water stretching during the uplift forming these fractured pillars from the Cedar Mesa sandstone.

The hike was captivating, as I snapped photos while winding through all these different layouts and openings that curved along canyonlands. For the first three hours, we didn't see a soul and thought we were the only ones on the Druid Arch trail but we started seeing as we neared closer to one of the largest Arches in Utah. It was a nice sunny day which I was grateful for during this long hike. However, some areas within the canyon still remained a bit icy so we had to use some rock climbing skills to sidestep over them.

After three hours we reached the point where we started our rock scramble ascent up to the Druid Arch. There was plenty of snow and some ice so it was very helpful to have the proper gear such as Yak tracks on our feet to help stable us. Sorry Moms if this picture makes you nervous; we were careful on our way up.

When I reached the Druid Arch it felt like my heart was pounding between my ears. I hope the image can help paint the scale of how truly massive this arch was. I read later that this Arch formed in prehistoric times. I wonder if a T-Rex used it as a back scratcher because it definitely was taller than they were.

Sadly we could not enjoy it long because the sun was going down and we did not want to be caught in the cold canyonlands in the dark (even though we brought headlamps).

Although catching the park at sunset changed the scenery completely and I could not help to pause and see this new beautiful point of view.

Also highly recommend watching the stars here since Canylonads is a verified Dark Sky Park meaning on a moonless clear night you could see the stars perfectly here. Even with a bit of moonlight and some clouds, the stars here were more radiant than anything I could see back home with all our light pollution. I am still counting the days where I can one day see the Milky Way in all its splendor; a definite bucket list for me.

This post was very picture heavy but I just had to show off one of the most beautiful National Parks I have ever been to. Next stop, Arches National Park!