Moab Trip Part Two: The Needles
After setting up camp, I drove to the Needles District of Canyonlands. The Needles District is about an hour and 20 minutes from Moab. Fun fact! Canyonlands has four sections: the Island in the Sky, Needles District, Maze District, and the rivers. After what seemed like forever of a drive, I reached the visitor's center. Like my typical self, I was eager to talk to the rangers to get information about what I should see and do. Most people visit the Island in the Sky part of Canyonlands, which makes sense; it is easy to get to, and those views are amazing. But the Needles section is the place to be if you don't want to see hundreds and hundreds of people. The visitor’s center was a pack of cards but a small parking lot. This was the most people in the Needles District, and I hadn't even begun the hike!
After chatting with the rangers and filling up extra water (I had a cooler in the car with water and Gatorade, but I like to fill up when I see a water fountain. It's always better to have too much water!) it was time to head to the trail. I decided to head to Elephant Hill trailhead, which is near Squaw Flats Campground. This was the campground's name when I was there in 2021, but I know they are working to change the name. Elephant Hill trailhead is located at the end of a gravel road. The Chesler Parkview Point, The Druid Arch, Joint, and Devil's Pocket trails can all be accessed from this trailhead. I decided to hike the Chesler Park trail and hike until I got to the Elephant Canyon. To be honest, I was perplexed. I kept asking everyone on the trail about this Elephant Canyon, and they had no idea what I was talking about, but a few mentioned the Chesler Park Viewpoint. I decided to go there instead. I didn't realize at the time the Elephant Canyon is the whole Chesler Park Viewpoint, Druid Arch, and Devil's Kitchen. I found this out by a ranger later in my hike.
About this trail: It’s a moderately challenging 5.4 miles round trip. Most of the first mile and a half of the course is spent following a faint path in the dirt or chasing cairns from rock to rock. If you are unfamiliar with what cairns are, they are man-made piles (or stacks) of stones that denote trails that do not have trail markings. Hiking or just a life tip: Please do not make your own cairns or destroy the ones the Rangers have made. You will endanger hikers on the trail by marking the trail incorrectly. This is the section that I got "off" trail a few times because it was hard to determine if that was the right carin to follow or the right dirt trail. Around this section, you are hiking on more significant rocks/ dirt, and around you are these boulder-looking rocks with these random green trees contrasting the red rocks. These rocks honestly look like they came from Mars. This is one of my favorite reasons why I love Utah, the exciting landscapes.
Around the 1.5-mile mark, you'll hit your first junction with the web of trails that crisscrosses the entire region. If you stay to the right, that trail will take you toward Chesler Park. The trail descends into a wash in about another half mile. North of this wash is the first backcountry campsite called Camp EC1. You need a backcountry permit to camp. If you decide that you want to do Druid Arch instead, which is a sandstone formation, you will head south for the trail access. For those who don’t know what the term wash is, a stream that is usually dry.
If you like a steep ascent, climbing out of the wash is for you. However, be mindful that there are some steep drop-offs and tight switchbacks. If you are alert, then you should be good! Around 2.5 miles in, you will walk through the Needles formation and see Chesler Park for the first time. Right here is one of the highest points on the hike and a great place to stop to look around the terrain while you take a much-needed water break after all the terrain you just hiked!
After a while, I finally saw a ranger and asked her about Elephant Canyon. She told me that I was in it and that I should finish the last section to the viewpoint. I asked her how long it would take to do the previous steep section. She replied that it depends on you. I had a cut-off time because I had a sunset tour of Hell's Revenge that night. So I "sprinted" up the side to reach the top as fast as possible. When I say sprint, it's more like a slow jog/ hiking. But I made it out and finally reached the trail's end, where I wanted to stop. I was soo out of breath and soo hot that I stopped on a rock and enjoyed looking at the needles. I ran into another person, and she convinced me to go to the top, where the trail connected through a joint to make the loop trail. At this point, I finally got service and got a voicemail from the tour confirming if I was attending tonight. I called back and confirmed. I also verified the time since they told me to be there later than I was told that day. The good news is I had more time to play and explore since the person I spoke to earlier in the day gave me the wrong time. The bad news was I was wiped trying to sprint up this steep switch back.
I went to the top of the joint, took some pictures and videos, slowly and gingerly made my way back down to the rock I was at, thanked the lady again, poured more water over my head, and started back on the trail. When I was going back, I saw more people at different parts of the trail. I ran into two guys, and we started talking about Colorado. We hiked together for about 10-15 mins, and I gave them recommendations on what to see and do in Colorado. Then we separated, and I was solo again. It was nice to have the distraction from being wiped out. It always amazes me how I can experience two different hikes on any hike, meaning when I hike to the "end goal" of my hike, it typically feels like it takes forever because I legit stop and take in the surroundings, but on my hike back, it feels like my hike is over within 5 minutes. This hike back wasn't as easy as I thought, though. I was fatigued from my "sprint" and exposed to the sun. I kept drinking water and Gatorade but couldn't get the pep back in my step.
I thought the hike back was going to take 500 years. But I returned to my car and had a new refreshing Bai Coconut drink, which helped my mood while letting the car cool down. I made it back into town with a quick pit stop at Lazy Lizard Hostel to shower so I did not smell like a dead animal in the desert. That helped to get my spirits up for Hell's Revenge! Lazy Lizard is the hostel I stayed at in Moab last time. I knew they allowed people who did not stay with them to take a shower for like three bucks. The best three dollars I spent that day! And then it was time for Hell's Revenge, but that’s a story for another time!
