TL;DR
If you’re up for some scrambling and a relatively steep decent and ascent then you’ll have some fun on this one. We did the loop in the clockwise direction. You descend first and then ascend out of the canyon to finish. Actually going into Upheavel Dome adds a few more miles. We did this hike in the fall but it was still hot down inside the canyon. Bring water! And be on the look-out for cairns.
Thoughts
Our last destination on our Utah road trip was Canyonlands National Park. Canyonland’s is huge and is broken into several districts such as Island in the Sky in the north or Needles and the Maze in the south. We were headed to Island in the Sky, just a little bit north of Moab. While incredibly vast, Island in the Sky only has one drive-up camp…which only has 12 spots…which is first come first serve. So while we managed to drive back to Moab and into the park and to the campsite by 10am, virtually every spot was taken. We pulled into the very last campsite which didn’t have a car nor any sort of tent or gear present. We started unpacking then noticed that there was a reserve slip already on the post for our site. It was marked as having one more day on it. Now we had a backup plan in case all the sites were taken. Moab is surrounded by BLM land that is free to camp on. But this site was empty…so after some discussion, we set up one tent and left a note on it saying sorry if we were intruding but we didn’t see anyone around, we’ll pack up our gear if you come back. That’s innocent enough right?
We then proceeded to drive to Island in the Sky’s many scenic viewpoints. Canyonlands is no misnomer. Its canyons within canyons within canyons. A russian nesting doll of canyons. Each with its own coloring and unique erosion. Sitting there looking over this definition of vast, I couldn’t help but think how easily this could have been made into some expensive subdivision. In a world where land always has an owner and some thoroughly calculated price tag, here is a land of beauty, now free to be how nature wants it to be. And in that moment, I felt incredibly grateful and privileged to be able to see it. I can’t say it enough. National Parks is America’s best idea and lasting legacy.
We returned in the evening to our campsite. Still no one to be found. Around dinner time we decided to stake our claim and paid our campsite dues. It was our day of rest. The next day we were embarking on Syncline Loop, our 8+ mile day hike around Upheavel Dome. Once again, we were treated to a beautiful desert sunset.
We woke up early the next day. We had to grab water from Park Headquarters and then head over to the Synclince Loop trailhead. Driving around Island in the Sky is relatively easy. There are few actual roads. The majority of the park is only accessible by hiking or bike or ATV, which I am grateful for. I’d hate to see roads traversing all over the canyon floor.
Upheavel Dome is quite a sight. A stark grey mound of upturned rock against the red of the surrounding canyon walls. No one is 100% certain what caused it. Some say its an eroded impact crater. Others say its from a salt dome. Regardless it’s a pretty interesting site. But we ended up seeing it on a fluke. We had missed the trailhead for Syncline Loop which apparently started the moment you stepped off the parking lot to the right. Glad we goofed though. It was worth the quarter mile detour.
Syncline Loop is about 8.3 miles around the Upheavel Dome crater. We went counter-clockwise on a whim and I’m glad we did it that way. The first mile was flat across the desert, the next mile was switchbacks all the way down into a canyon. There was a dried creek bed with some puddles here and there. Hardly anyone on the trail. We did it as a day hike but it looks like its also good for backpacking. There’s a backpacker’s camp halfway through the loop which is also by the fork to go into Upheavel Dome. You can also hike out onto the opposite canyon rim. Despite it being October, the temperature in the canyon was a balmy 85 degrees. We took a break before our accent out of the canyon. Talked to a few hikers coming from the opposite direction who looked absolutely drained despite being only halfway through the hike. Our hike out of the canyon consisted of several miles of rock scrambling. Going down this stuff would have been painstakingly slow, but going up wasn’t all that bad. You just had to be on the look out for cairns. And personally, I love rock scrambling. Makes me feel adventurous.
By the time we finished the rock scrambling, we probably looked like zombies. The last mile or so was meandering through sand in a dried creek bed. Sleeping bag never felt so good. And it did feel good. That was our last day of our trip. It was an awesome trip and I highly recommend to everyone to do one. It doesn’t have to be to Utah and it doesn’t have to be long. But to be out there, to be part of the sky, to fall into the background of nature is a feeling unlike any other, and you will never find it unless you get out there. It’s something everyone should feel, because places like this weren’t made by a person, the canyons or the arches or the desert weren’t made by any logic or reason. They are a gift. Placed here on Earth for those who seek it out.
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