Needles Overlook & Dead Horse State Park

Tree & Moon at Dead Horse State Park, UT

Friday, June 1- Moab, UT 247 Miles Today, 4982.0 For the Trip

It is great to have the web page back in action. The blogger site works OK, but it is easier to post more & larger images here.

I started the day driving from Blanding to Moab. I made reservations at the Riverside Oasis Campground in Moab because Moab is usually crowded, particularly on weekends. I'm in site 16, a full hookup back in just large enough for the trailer & RAV4. Since it was only about 75 miles to Moab from Blanding, I decided to drive out to the Needles Overlook at Canyonlands. While I did visit the Needles section of Canyonlands last year, I bypassed the overlook. It is well worth a stop. Great vistas 2000' above the Colorado River.

On the way back towards Moab on US 191, I stopped at Wilson Arch, one of the few that you can park in front of. Of course I had to take a photo of the trailer! More photos are at today's LakeshoreImages Page.

After stopping at the overlook I continued on to Moab, arriving around 1:00. Moab was as busy as usual so after setting up I drove out to Dead Horse State Park. I shot a bunch of photos, but with the high sun none were very useful. I'll call it a scouting trip for going back after dinner, which is exactly what I did. Much better light, although more dramatic skies would help. 

I also shot a couple of panoramas. I checked on the campground at Dead Horse, and they have 4 first come, first served sites. All the rest are reserved well into the future. I'll try for one of the first come sites on Monday morning. As long as someone doesn't take them over the weekend & extend their stay past Monday, the chances are good that I'll get a site.

I stayed at Dead Horse until well after sunset, but decided not to wait until the stars came out. It will be an easier nighttime drive 1 mile back to the campground that the 30 or so miles to Moab!

Until Tomorrow