Canyonlands National Park – Whale Rock

A sign on the side of the road caught our attention…..

and, since we like whales, and love to hike on rocks, we decided to go for it!

The Whale Rock Trail is a one mile trek up a rounded sandstone fin that actually does look whale-like; that is, if one uses his imagination, like Spongebob!

The task of reaching the “spout” of the rock looked a bit intimidating; however, this conglomeration of boulders actually has quite a bit of traction, and the trail winds, so that the climb is not directly uphill.

The hard work is pretty much over upon the whale’s “back”!  Because of the width, it is a great place to stop and take a few deep breaths before scrambling up the “spout”.

The best thing about reaching this summit, the “spout” is the breathtaking view!

The Whale Rock is one of those trails that we happened to just stumble upon.  The hike was both enjoyable and interesting, and I am grateful that we decided to heed its calling, only enhancing our brief experience at Canyonlands National Park!

Canyonlands National Park  has something for everyone!  Located about 30 miles northwest of Moab, the park consists of 527 square miles of  deep canyons, towering mesas, pinnacles, cliffs and spires.  This park seemed much more desolate, with less traffic, both foot and vehicle, than Arches.  There’s so much to see and do, and, in half a day, we barely scratched the surface.  We loved the Moab, Utah area, including Canyonlands, and hope to return there in the near future!

 

 

 

 

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