On our last day Christine and I did the eleven mile Chesler Park Loop-Joint Trail hike in the the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park. The Colorado and Green Rivers act as natural dividers in Canyonlands and the park is divided into three districts: Island in the Sky, the Needles, and the Maze. Although the districts are adjacent to each other, they can not be visited directly from one another. The Needles district is more remote; it's a longer drive from Moab and to really see the park you have to get off the road (which isn't very long anyway). For being in the same park, Island in the Sky and The Needles are quite different. Island in the Sky is a high plateau amidst the canyons and The Needles boasts colorful rock spires and formations. If you have time, both are fantastic to visit and are great complements to one another.

Newspaper Rock is an impressive petroglyph panel located on the way to The Needles and is worth a stop. Once in the park our hike started at the Elephant Hill Trailhead. The narrow, windy road to the trailhead is suitable for passenger cars, just proceed with caution and keep a lookout for other vehicles. The hike is a "lollipop" hike and this is the description of the hike from the NPS webpage:

Hiking three miles along this trail brings visitors to a saddle overlooking Chesler Park, a scenic expanse of desert grasses and shrubs surrounded by colorful sandstone spires. The loop around Chesler is fairly level and winds through a series of deep, narrow fractures called the Joint Trail.

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From the Joint Trail we walked briefly on a dirt road, then completed the Chesler Park loop back to the saddle and retraced our steps back to the trailhead. Looking south at Chesler Park from the saddle, we did the loop clockwise. Just before entering the Joint Trail there is a sign pointing towards a viewpoint to the left. It's a short scramble up some rocks and there is an expansive view of Chesler Park. This makes a great lunch spot before continuing on the Joint Trail.

Although eleven miles, this hike doesn't have a lot of elevation gain and is not difficult. There are no water sources on this trail and much of the trail is in full sun, so plan accordingly. For the great rock formations and variety on the trail (rock spires and the neat Joint Trail), I think it is one of the best hikes I've done in the southwest. This was a great last hurrah for our trip!