Your first step in visiting any National Park should be grabbing a map. These maps will always have a list of the parks most popular hikes ranging from easy to strenuous. Now who classifies these trails into each category is a mystery to me but they seem to really embellish their labels. Easy trails are hikes that require less effort than walking down the driveway to check the mail and strenuous hikes are basically death marches.

We would recommend the long drive getting down to the Needles District of Canyonlands, to do your body a favor and start with an easy hike to get the blood flowing to your leg’s again. The Roadside Ruin is the easiest of hikes in Canyonlands and makes a great warm-up for the rest of the day.

The Trail

Now “Hike” is a strong word to categorize this attraction. At a whopping 0.3 miles roundtrip, the trail is gentle and has zero noticeable elevation gain. The trailhead is easy to find and is clearly marked on the side of the road.

If your used to trails in wooded areas and mountainous regions, you may be used to staying the course on an obvious path. But because of shifting sands and trails going over large patches of rocks, the trail may not be obvious to the naked eye. Long ago prehistoric cavemen had a very simple solution to prevent getting lost in the desert, stacked rocks also known as Cairns. Thats right, that tiny stack of pebbles pictured next to some yoga person doing a ridiculous pose on top of a mountain that you see on every “free spirits” Instagram actually serves a purpose.  Look for these stacks while  hiking along the Roadside Ruin Trail. Please don’t be all artsy and try to create your own, it messes with other hikers and could get someone lost.

The Roadside Ruin

The ruin itself is not as big as it looks in pictures, so don’t get your hopes too high. It’s only about the size of a whiskey barrel but it is still a fascinating piece of natural history.  Right when you begin the trail, look for a little box with some brochures that gives a a history of the ruin which dates back thousands of years. They cost $0.50 but if you don’t have any change just return it on your way back.

For getting acclimated to the desert environment this is a great hike but if your pressed for time, this hike would be okay to skip. (But shame on you for your poor time management skills).

Chad Albright

Chad can be summed up by his idea of a perfect day: Waking up early to watch the sunrise over the mountains, warm cup of coffee in hand then grabbing his camera and fly rod, hitting the trail to explore some uncharted territory followed by cold beers and campfire steaks. Chad is often joined on his adventures by his wife, Tori, and their dog, Kona.