Canyonlands - Colorado River canyon

The Shafer Trail, an unpaved road, descends from near the Island In The Sky visitor center into the Colorado River canyon country. The white rim rock of the cliff face is Navajo Sandstone; the road descends through a series of switchbacks through the ledge-forming red rock cliffs of the Kayenta Formation. Shear cliffs of the Wingate Sandstone are below the last switchback in this view. The Wingate, Kayenta and Navajo formations are of Early Jurassic age. Note: reference sources used for the interpretation of photographs on this website include a geologic map of Canyonlands National Park and vicinity by Huntoon and others (1982), and field guides by Baars (1989, 2000), Barnes (1988, 1990, 1991, and 1993), and Bickers (1988).