In a world full of cars, traffic, people, and technology, I am grateful that some wilderness is left. I go to Glen Canyon for the quiet. It is here that I discover the true meaning of solitude, devoid of the typical sounds and company of a forested wilderness. Nothing but stone and sky out here in Glen Canyon, where the world is red and the silence is loud.
This land teaches me to look closely and walk quietly so that I do not miss what little wonders the desert keeps hidden. The hanging gardens of luscious fern and hidden waterpockets in the shade leave me wanting to know more. I walk over the slickrock into the winter sun, thinking of the geologic timeline spread out before me. Thirsty for understanding, I return to Glen Canyon again and again. Knowing fully that I may never understand this place, I leave with a sense of unquenched curiosity.
Sincerely,
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
The 1.2 million-acre park spans the scenic desert landscape from bottom of Canyonlands National Park to the tip of Grand Canyon National Park, including buttes, cliffs, canyons, and mesas. The park also contains the Glen Canyon Dam, which was completed in 1963, creating Lake Powell and changing the surrounding environment dramatically. Visitors can kayak the Colorado River which flows through the canyon, hike or mountain bike along the Orange Cliffs and Burr Trail, or take scenic drives along the back roads.
State(s): Arizona Utah,
Established: 1972
“they protect the quiet.”
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