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Canyonlands National Park
In southeastern Utah, Canyonlands National Park encompasses deeply eroded canyons interspersed with sheer-sided mesas and a variety of spires, arches and unusual rock formations. The Green and Colorado rivers join and continue in a series of powerful rapids through the multicolored recesses of Cataract Canyon. The rivers' confluence divides the park into three districts reached by separate accesses.
To reach the entrance to the Island in the Sky District (the easiest district to reach), travel 9 miles north from Moab on US 191, then 26 miles south on SR 313. The entrance to the Needles District is 41 miles south of Moab on US 191, then 34 miles west on SR 211; the entrance to the Maze District is 46 miles from the SR 24 turnoff to the Hans Flat Ranger Station via a rough dirt road.
The northernmost district, Island in the Sky, is a huge, level mesa featuring Upheaval Dome and Grand View Point. Southeast of the rivers' junction lies the Needles District, where multicolored rock spires overshadow meadowlands and natural parks. The Maze District, a remote and rugged section at the western edge of the park, encompasses the Land of Standing Rocks, the Maze and Horseshoe Canyon. The American Indian pictograph panels in this area are considered to be among the finest in North America.
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