Take This Utah Trail To Step Back In Time 1,000 Years
By Catherine Armstrong|Published August 14, 2018
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Catherine Armstrong
Author
Writer, editor and researcher with a passion for exploring new places. Catherine loves local bookstores, independent films, and spending time with her family, including Gus the golden retriever, who is a very good boy.
Southern Utah’s landscape is filled with the ancient ruins of the ancestral Puebloan and Fremont people, who lived here more than a 1,000 years ago. Some of their dwellings and granaries are still intact today, and you can hike to see many of them. Here’s a short, easy trail that will take you to a little granary. Check it out:
You'll find the Roadside Ruin Trail in the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park.
The trail starts just past the Needles District Visitor Center, and it's a short, five minute walk. During summer months, temperatures can be scorching, so even though this is a short hike, make sure to bring a bottle of water, and protect your skin with some sunscreen and a hat.
The trail is not technically handicapped-accessible, but it is very flat and the surface is smooth. Most visitors should be able to easily navigate this little path.
Please stay on the trail during this short hike. You'll find cryptobiotic soil here - a crusty layer of soil that contains cyanobacteria, lichens and mosses, which keep the soil stable and prevents erosion.
The desert views under a big, blue sky are simply stunning here. This landscape is typical of the Colorado Plateau, and if you're bringing visitors who have never seen this kind of terrain, they'll likely be stunned by the vast beauty of this place.
This granary was likely used by the Ancient Puebloan People between 800 and 1,000 years ago. It was used to store corn, squash and other food items, and it's almost completely intact.
Constructed of stones and mud, this little granary has stood the test of time. It's particularly unique because the access point is at the top, instead of the side of the structure. To view it up close, bring a pair of binoculars, or a camera or cell phone with a zoom.
