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UT 211 is a Utah state highway that leads to the Needles district of Canyonlands National Park. It’s the only paved road through the park and ends in the park as well. There are a few overlooks along the road as well as several trailheads.
Roadside Ruin
The first place we stopped on UT 211 after the Needles visitor center was at Roadside Ruin. A 0.3 mile loop trail leads to an ancestral Puebloan granary.
Wooden Shoe Arch
Next, after completing the Cave Spring Trail, we stopped at the Wooden Shoe Arch Overlook. From there, you can spot an arch in the distance shaped like a wooden shoe.
Photo Stop
After a couple turns in the road, we stopped at an unmarked pullout to snap a few photos of some interesting rock formations.
Big Spring Canyon
From there, we did the Pothole Point Trail and continued to the Big Spring Canyon Overlook, which is the end of the road just past the Slickrock Foot Trail.
At Big Spring Canyon is also the trailhead for the Confluence Overlook Trail. It takes hikers 5.5 miles one-way to an overlook 1,000 feet above the confluence of the Green and Colorado Rivers. At that point in 1859, the Macomb Expedition mapped the confluence for the very first time. We didn’t take the trail but it’s something I’d like to do on a future trip to the park.
