Shafer Canyon Trail | Canyonlands National Park | Moab, UT

It’s no secret that the west holds some amazing geographical energy. It’s almost impossible to venture into these territories and not feel the energy given off by the earth. This year, we traversed to Moab, Utah. While here, we took in the amazing sites of Canyonlands and Arches National Park. During our time in Canyonlands we traveled down the famed off-road trail named Shafer Canyon Trail. This trail is gnarly to say the least, and we did it with a rainstorm on our tail. Wow! What an incredible time. You will see sites on this trail that you can’t see anywhere else in the park. If you have the right type of vehicle, I strongly suggest this trail. A word to the wise, if you do not have a 4-wheel drive style vehicle I’m not sure that you will be able to manage this trail effectively. 

While on this trail, you take the road down an extremely steep and narrow path that is in the middle of a canyon. This road is so narrow that two cars are not going to be able to successfully pass each other, so it’s wise to keep an eye on the trail from your birdseye view so that you can pull off in designated pull-offs along the way. Once you take this rad trek down the canyon, you will come across so many amazing rock formations. One of my favorites was this rock formation reminiscent of the astrological symbol of Gemini. 

In addition to amazing rock formations, you will also get this amazing view of the Colorado River. Keep in mind that flash floods are not uncommon for this area, so if you find yourself at the bottom of the Canyon, be aware of where you are in position to potential flash flooding if you get caught in a storm. Seek the high ground, and pay attention to areas that have clear evidence of washout. 

If you continue to follow this road, you will eventually pass the Potash Mines. This mine is an incredible photo opportunity because of the colors, but from an environmentalist point of view it does make me a bit sad. I just don’t like seeing the commercialization of earth’s resources…call me old fashioned. The aerial view is much more blue than the view from the roadside. So if you’re expecting to see colors like this from the road, don’t get your hopes up. From this dirt road, that you traversed through Shafer Canyon and the Potash Mines, it will turn into a paved road known as SR-279.

Home free! SR-279 will lead you back into the town of Moab, but before that happens there are some sites to see! This road follows the Colorado River and there are opportunities for rest stops, camping, site seeing, etc. on this particular road. There is easy-access petroglyphs on SR-279 with ample space to pull off and admire. There are some spots further down this road where you can park and hike to other petroglyphs, but time and weather did not allow for that. 

There are many petroglyphs to see all throughout the area. You will have many opportunities to photograph and admire these primitive works of art. While we didn’t have time to visit Newsprint this trip, it is definitely on our list for the next visit. The energy of this region of the United States is undeniable and it will call me back time and time again to come experience her raw, unfiltered beauty. Oh! Another thing to add! We were in this region in June. It was freakishly cold and windy and the mountain ranges got snow that day, so with that being said: BE PREPARED FOR ALL OCCASIONS!