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Needles Ancient Paths Expedition (ND2)
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 Trip OverviewDetailed Itinerary
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The Big Picture
The Needles region of Canyonlands National Park is one of the most well-kept secrets in America and represents the very heart and soul of the park. To enter the really pristine areas of the park, you must either hike many miles or be an accomplished four-wheeler. Tag-A-Long Expeditions,
primary canyonlands
outfitter, removes these boundaries by providing you with four-wheel drive access, locating the most desirable camp sites, and guiding you to hidden archeological sites. As soon as you enter the Needles, you will feel the mystery of the ancient Anasazi who disappeared without explanation in approximately 1250 A.D. You’ll have plenty of time to attempt to sort out the puzzle as you hike the rugged canyons and view the amazing remnants of a long-gone culture on this three-day expedition. Add to that stunning arches and windows carved out of rock over millions of years and some of America’s most incredible landscapes, and you’re off for the adventure of your life!
The Details
Day 1 – Lunch & Dinner
Your wilderness trek begins at the Tag-A-Long
4x4 outfitter office in Moab, Utah, at 8:00 a.m.
to convene for an 8:30 a.m.
departure. From Moab we will drive south to the Needles area of Canyonlands National Park. The first stop along the way is a spectacular natural arch best viewed from beside the highway. This arch is so big, daredevil pilots have flown small planes through it! Next we’ll visit Newspaper Rock, an astonishing panel absolutely filled with ancient Indian petroglyphs. Was this a method of communication? What symbols do these inscriptions hold? You can only use your imagination to try to unravel the mystery. After lunch, we approach notorious Elephant Hill, one of the most challenging four-wheel drive passes in all of Canyonlands. Once we successfully negotiate the climbs and descents on narrow, rocky ledges – you can walk outside your vehicles if you feel more secure -- we’ll reach our campsite and home for the night. As the sun drops, don’t miss the incredible change of colors on the Needles as your guide prepares a delicious dinner.
Day 2 – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
After breakfast your guide takes you deeper and deeper into the wilds of Canyonlands. Depending on your interest you may hike into a spectacular scenic area known as Chesler Park via the Joint Trail, a narrow slot in massive layers of sandstone. Tonight when you return to camp surrounded by the silhouettes of rock castles and spires, you will marvel at more stars than you have ever seen and the unimaginable quiet of the desert interrupted only by the occasional yip of coyotes.
Day 3 – Breakfast & Lunch
After breakfast, we will travel via 4X4 over the Silver Staircase and cut through newly forming grabens. Your guide joins you on an easy trail to the Confluence Overlook. From high above this amazing vista, you’ll gaze down onto the confluence of the Green and Colorado rivers. You’ll see how each river carries different colors of water which remain separated for a considerable distance. This is a once-in-a-lifetime view of the magical merging of two powerful western rivers. As we
go 4-wheeling out of the park and tackle challenging Elephant Hill again, you’ll begin daydreaming about your next trip into the desert. We return to Moab about 5:00 p.m.
Contact Michele
with your trip
interests.
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Whitewater Rafting
S.E. Utah Detail
