Slickrock Foot Trail Canyonlands National Park - Needles District
- peteuga
- Dec 27, 2021
- 3 min read
Updated: Mar 31
Many people rave about Moab, UT, being one of the most stunning places on the planet, and I wholeheartedly agree! The rock formations and natural beauty of Southeastern Utah are magical. But to pinpoint the absolute most stunning area, I'd say Indian Creek Canyon and the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park take the crown for the most breathtaking scenery. The banded cliffs and needles of the Cedar Mesa sandstone are almost unimaginable as they alternate back and forth between red and white layers. Whenever I am in Moab, I make it a point to drive south to enjoy the area.
Even if you never get out of your car, the drive alone would satisfy even the most snobby panoramic view seeker. In fact, we have included the drive to the Needles District as one of the top activities for a Moab vacation. Highlights include Wilson Arch, Newspaper Rock, Elephant Hill, and more. This is kind of what I had in mind on this winter day. I was just getting over a cold and didn’t want to overdo things and risk getting sick again by getting worn down on a long hike. The short hike along the Slick Rock Foot Trail was just what I needed after feeling a little pinned up over the last few days.
Well, as is always the case when I am sick, I can only stay in the car for so long. I eventually have to get out of the car and see what is going on. At least this time, I can say I made it to the end of the road before I buckled. That is where the Slick Rock Foot trail is, literally at the end of the road. So I shook my daughter awake and we grabbed a quick snack then headed out.
One of the first overlooks you will come to is a view into Little Springs Canyon. This Canyon is not as deep as Big Springs Canyon, but it still has lots of character and is very rugged. So long as the wind is not blowing too hard, winter is an ideal time to visit the Needles District. If you find yourself here in the summer, be sure to get an early start. You will not want to be here during the midday heat as no shade available.
The trail follows a generally flat outcropping of weathered slick rock that is wedged between Big Springs Canyon and Little Springs Canyon. Don’t let the word flat fool you. Though the trail has almost zero elevation gain, the surface itself is very uneven. You will rarely go more than a few feet without a step up or down. The trail can actually start to wear on you even though it is only 2.4 miles long. Don't get any bad ideas from my daughter's chosen footwear; I would recommend sturdy shoes or even hiking boots for this trail. Since the trail is flat and on a mesa, you will always have a 360-degree panoramic view of the surrounding cliffs.
Most of the cliffs in the Needles are a beautiful red and white banded color of the Cedar Mesa formation. This trail, however, is more the color of peanut butter or maybe is was the overcast winter day that was muting the color. I found it very difficult to get any contrast in my photos. Maybe I will try the hike again on a sunny day or when there is a little snow on the ground to provide contrast. On the south side of the road, all of the views are up towards the banded layers of Cedar Mesa sandstone. However, the Slickrock Foot Trail is on the north side of the road, and the opposite is true; all of the views are down into Big Springs Canyon.
From the last viewpoint shown above, you can see huge canyon walls as Spring Canyon drops down first to Salt Creek Canyon and then continues toward the Colorado River just a short distance away. Though the cliffs in the distance are only a few miles away, they are in the Maze District of Canyonlands National Park. The Maze is considered one of the most remote places in the United States, it would take a full day of driving to get there from this spot.
If I were planning a trip to the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park I would go to the trails a little more to the south, more in the Needles proper. My favorite trail to date in the Needles is Druid Arch. My favorite family trail / easy trail would be Cave Spring. In the end, I’m glad to mark this trail off my list but would not recommend it or revisit it considering the quality of the trails just around the corner.
