Utah May 2018

U

Friday May 18 – Colorado River National Recreation Area

Highway 128 goes southwest from Interstate 70 at Cisco and comes to the Colorado River at Dewey Bridge. The river is deep in the canyon with its high red cliffs and spires and moderate flow, making it a favorite with day rafters.  There are several campgrounds from Dewey Bridge on to the Moab junction.

We set up camp at Lower Onion and made day trips to Arches National Park, Dead Horse Point State Park, and Canyonlands National Park over the weekend. The campground is modest, but adequate Views of the cliffs and spires in all directions are stunning.

Onion Creek flows toward the Colorado from the east from the Fishers Towers area. There is a small campground near Fishers Towers for tents and access to the hiking trails. We went there one evening. It is an interesting geologic area. The Onion Creek diapir (more buoyant materials forced upwards through rock formations) with white-colored salt and gypsum beds are in striking contrast with the surrounding red rocks of the Triassic Moenkopi Formation (approximately 245 million years old) and the reddish-brown sandstone, mudstone, and conglomerate of the Permian Cutler Formation (approximately 290 million years old).

TAH - MAY 2018
A trip to the canyon country of south-east Utah

May 19 Arches National Monument