In 1964, 257,640 acres of high desert in Utah became Canyonlands National Park, which was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson.
2024 marks its 60th anniversary.
For thousands of years, Native Americans lingered here long enough to signal their presence through drawings (petroglyphs) on rock walls. Two thousand years ago, hunter-gatherer tribes created granaries to store their harvests. Many granaries still survive.
Early European settlers went further west, leaving this challenging world as the hideout for a handful of outlaws.
Today, the park remains the least visited among Utah’s other national parks, including Zion, Bryce Canyon, Arches, and Capital Reef. But visitors will discover rafting, hiking, jeep tours, mountain biking, and canyoneering in the country. Also found on these journeys are a petrified forest, fossil beds, spectacular rock cliffs, Indian ruins, petroglyphs, and arches.
I traveled to Utah and visited all five national parks. Canyonlands is spectacular and well worth visiting. You do not have to go very far to find the scenic treasures. I saw a lot from my car and short hikes from well-marked parking areas.
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