Show C Is An Area of Fantastic Scenery Wide Variety of Attractions to the Vis Visitor or BY SY SAM J J. J TAYLOR Editor Times-Independent Times Scenic areas included in the concerning Canyon Canyon- lands National Park Park proposed are thought by many to be the most varl varied d and Unusually beautiful beau beau- in the world The area has three major separate scenic sections isolated ed from each other by the Y Y- s- s shaped Colorado and Green river river riv riv- er canyons surrounding the confluence confluence con con- fluence of the two rivers The largest area and one traveled now only by jeep is the Needles area of San Juan County reached reach reach- ed by entering through Indian Crek north of Monticello The second important to Moab residents residents res res- res Ident is s the Island In the Sky section south of Big DIg Flat and including such important features as Upheaval Dome Grandview Point Shafer Trail and Monument Canyon This section is reached from Moab via the Dead Horse Point road The third and most isolated of the three sections is the Standing StandIng StandIng Stand Ing Rocks Rocks' area of Wayne and Garfield Counties reached from Hanksville This section wi will willbe willbe be the least developed under provisions of pending legislation legislation legislation legisla legisla- tion and for that reason renson will not be dwelt upon In this anal anal- ysis A Look at the Needles For decades the domain of the vast Somerville Cattle Cattie Co few people saw the Needles area until recent years when wheel four-wheel travel became somewhat somewhat somewhat some some- what of a n western states pas pas- time It is situated South and East from the confluence of the Colorado Colorado Colorado Col Col- orado and Green rivers Varicolored Varicolored Varicolored Vari Vari- colored spires grass-filled grass valleys valleys valleys val val- leys canyons filled with ancient archaeological remains and challenging je p roads are features that have destined the area for national prominence Best known of the Needles areas Is Chesler Park Park Park-a a green panorama surrounded by red and white spires thrusting Into the sky Chesler Park is s reached by taking wheel four vehicles vehicles vehicles ve ve- over tortuous trails windIng windIng winding wind- wind Ing from fram Dugout Ranch on Indian Indian indian In in- dian Creek Southeast from the park Salt Creek and Horse Creek canyons wind to their headwaters in the Abajo or Blue mountains The two canyons along with lesser Intermittent watercourses are filled with prehistoric Indian ruins and writings In the upper reaches of these canyons are located Angel and Castle arches and majestic Druid Arch is situated in n the upp upper r end of Elephant Canyon near near Chesler Park Other Needles features Include in include include In- In clude Devils Lane Junction of the Rivers Overlook Elephant Hill Hm Beef Basin and Squaw Park Park- Squaw Park is the projected projected pro pro- jested headquarters area for the Needles district of f National Park and can now be reached fairly we well in a passenger passenger passenger ger car At Cave Springs a point near the entrance to Needles protective protective tive overhangs in white mush mush- shaped room-shaped rocks g guard u a r d springs that have supplied cowboys cowboys cow cow- boys and ranchers since the late This Is the point where jeep trails head out for the Salt Canyon and Horse Canyon side trips Only a 11 few hundred I yards from Cave Springs the first Indian ruins appear high on canyon walls The two canyons canyons canyons can can- cani i filled with quicksand durIng during during dur dur- ing rainy rainy seasons carry hea heavy I flood waters at times obliterating obliterating ing the traces of past vehicle travel On toward Chesler Park Elephant Elephant Elephant Ele Ele- lull Hill presents a formidable ble bin barrier to all but the hardest hardiest hard hard- lest est vehicles Crawling over overstone overstone overstone stone steps inching ar arund und pin hair-pin curves and at times backing when insufficient room to turn is not available the the sturdy wheel four-wheel-drive vehicles vehicles i les get a quick indoctrination to what lies ahead On past Elephant Elephant Elephant Ele Ele- Hill JUll are Junction trails that lead to Beef Basin Chesler Park and to the confluence of the Green and Colorado rivers Island In fn the Sky At present resent the best developed of all the areas this v-shaped v section n of ol land is situated between the Green and nd Colorado rivers w west St of ot Moab It is reached by traveling over ovet the Seven-Mile Seven Canyon road leading to Dead Horse Norse Point En Entrance trance to the Island is the Neck where a foot 30 brush fence built bunt years ago by ranchers ranch ers blocks off acres of land which Is bordered on other sides aides by the two rivers Upheaval Dome is the first first feature south of the Neck and this shaped circular-shaped exposed salt dome stands out clearly from Its symmetrical ings At the end of the Island In Inthe Inthe inthe the Sky Grandview Point overlooks overlooks over over- looks the confluence country and scenic Monument Canyon nearly 1000 feet below Monument Monument Monument ment Canyon an eroded area Inthe Inthe in inthe the White Rim country countr is filled with totem-pole totem spires reaching for sunlight from the canyon floor The White Rim itself is a white sandstone halfway halfway halfway half half- way between the levels of the rivers and Grandview Point ItIs It ItIs Itis is now traversed by jeep roads built when uranium prospectors during the early explored the formations situated situated situated sit sit- on the canyon walls only a few hundred feet teet above the white rim A district headquarters would be built at the Neck the en ern entrance entrance trance to the Island in the Sky Under the terms tenn of the present legislation Near the Neck Is t Dead bead ead Horse State Park now being developed develop develop- ed by the State Slate of ot Utah Well traveled roads maintained maintaIned maintained main main- by Grand and San Juan Counties stretch to Grandview Point serving the tourist trade and more recently the growing number of persons Involved Inthe in inthe inthe the exploration for oil near Big Dig Flat It Its It's Tops Regardless Regardless of the outcome of the current controversy controversy controversy con con- the areas involved constitute con what may well be the most spectacular scenic points h It It the world The fact that the highly mineralized formations also yield valuable minerals in places complicates the issue now being bandied back and forth in political circles across the nation naMon What will happen At this point it is hard to tell Unfortunately Unfortunately the decisions will be made In Washington following promised hearings on the question question question ques ques- I tion in Salt Lake City Moab Moal and Monticello SPECTACULAR SCENERY Two features features features fea fea- tures found in Nt Nc Ne-adles Ne dies section section section sec sec- tion are Peek Boo Arch left and Angel Arch right Both of these features Two 1 things are important and should be given serious consid First the scenic but fragile sedimentary formations are highly susceptible to abusive Use and considerable portions of the eroded could be ruined forever with no controls of mineral development develop develop- ment Secondly exclusive Use of ot the lands involved by the National Park Service could prohibit forever utilization and development development development develop develop- ment of the minerals contained therein Economic values also enter in and should not be considered lightly This publication feels feets that there Is a middle road We feel that utilization of the land for scenic and recreational purposes pur purA poses under National Pork ad administration administration ad ad- ministration can be ma made e with controlled exploration and development development development de de- de- de of minerals and rangeland If it is the of the pol pol- however that decisIon decision ion must favor one side or the theother theother theother other with no regard to compromise compromise com com- promise then we must follow the dictates on our conscience and submit our support to the advocates of National Park use w JEEP Salt HIGHWAYS-Salt Creek Canyon in the Needles area provides thoroughfares thoroughfares thoroughfares thorough thorough- fares for wheel four-wheel-drive vehicles Indian Indian Indian In In- dian ruins and spectacular arches abound in this and other r Canyons in the Needles Rainy weather provides even greater thrills for who find occasional patches of quicksand real challenges to their the rough country rigs as is shown in photo on the right v c s are aro located along Salt SaU Cr Creek k Canyon and stand stan out boldly in the multi-colored multi country r o z ar r T r EARLY VISITORS Indian writing is common in the proof of the scattered ban bands s that roamed the Southwest Southwest South South- west up to 1000 years ago apo On right is I 1 typical Indian granary or Moki Mold ruin rum r 1 abundant in the canyons of the tho Needles area This particular granary is located near Squaw Park projected district headquarters head quarters for National Park J. a. a L' L ir Iii i J F J- J s a 3 A Ap p 4 r ra a rs POPULAR PASTIME Popularity of brought prominence to the Needles Noodles section of proposed I National Park Hundreds of pk-asure- pk seekers travel the rough trails into the Needles each year ear singly or in groups Scenes above libove were taken in May of ot 1961 when nearly 40 members of the Moab Rotary Club spent three days daya in the isolated isolated iso iso- area |