I am vaguely familiar with the whole Moab area. Â I've spent the past two Memorial Day weekends there camping, rafting, and a tab bit of hiking. Â
I hope someone can help me out here...There is a large salt factory not far off the CO River. Â They have a private drive that is available to the public to cross over. Â There's a huge crystal blue lake (reminds me of volcanic lakes, which have a great color to them) from the salt. Â If you take that private drive thru, you get to a "back" (no gate, no entrance fee to a National Park, but I didn't say so!) entrace to Canyonlands I believe. Â The drive is excellent for panoramic landscapes - but not for sunrises/sunsets as the west side is a cliff. Â
You'll see
- open shots of the river 200 feet below
- a lush green ledge next to the water, surrounded by red rock
- balancing rocks (one with a distinct shape, if you know what I mean)
- a few cool cacti flowers
- a 3 foot raven if you are lucky enough
If you have a tripod and stitching software, you'll get some excellent photos.
The drive is very scenic. Â It's mostly dirt/rock. Â For this road, you'll be best suited with an AWD or 4WD vehicle as there are a few difficult spots (mostly you'll need clearance). Â The trek is about 1.5 to 2 hours from the city of Moab with no stopping - it took us 3 to get to the end of the road. Â At the end is an arch, which you won't notice unless you look down at the ground as the top of the arch is at road level! Â You can walk out onto the arch and take your picture, but you'll need more than 10 seconds.
If you are interested, email me and I'll get the road directions, and I can provide some of my shots.
- Dave
Some Maps