Canyons carved into the Colorado Plateau by the Colorado River and Green River partition the area into three major districts:
The Island in the Sky and Needles districts are accessible via paved roads from U.S. 191 which passes through Moab. The Maze is the most remote of the three districts and is only accessible from the west (Utah 24 or 95) via unpaved roads. There are no road connections between the districts within the park and travelling between them may take two to six hours by car.
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2 The Needles 3 The Maze 4 External Link |
Island in the Sky is a broad and level mesa to the north of the park
between Colorado and Green river with
many spectacular overlooks over the White Rim, a sandstone bench 1200
feet below the Island, and the rivers which are another 1000 feet below
the White Rim.
The Needles district is named after the red and white banded rock
pinnacles which dominate it but various other forms of naturally
sculptured rock like canyons, grabens, potholes, and a number of arches
similar to the ones of the nearby Arches National Park can be found
as well.
Unlike Arches National Park, however, where many arches are accessible
by short to moderate hikes or even by car, most of the arches in the
Needles district lie in backcountry canyons and take long hikes or
four-wheel-drive trips to reach.
This area was once home of the Ancestral Puebloan Indians of which many
traces can be found.
Although the items and tools they used have been largely taken away by
looters, many of their stone and mud dwellings are well-preserved.
The Ancestral Puebloans also left traces in the form of petroglyphs,
most notably on the so-called Newspaper Rock near the Visitor Center
at the entrance of this district.
The Maze district west of the Colorado and
Green rivers is the most remote and inaccessible
section.Island in the Sky
The Needles
The Maze