Saturday & Sunday, March 1-2, 2025
Chesler Park is the Shangri-La of Needles area. It’s the destination. We think the average visitor should see Chesler because of what it is.
I wanted to start the month of March off right with an easy first backpacking trip of the year, mainly so I could test out some new gear I have acquired over the past few months to help lighten my load a bit (I’ve recently purchased a new backpack, quilt and shoes- among a few other odds and ends), so at the end of January I booked a campsite in Chesler Park for the first weekend in March when Diane was also available. Back about five years ago Diane and I would typically start off our backpacking season with a trip into the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park, but it’s been a while since we did that and the last time we backpacked into Chesler Park was in 2018, so we were looking forward to a return visit and hoped that the weather would cooperate with our plans. We left from home early on Saturday morning and made it to the Elephant Hill Trailhead shortly after 9:00am to begin our hike to Chesler Park.
Off we go on our way to Chesler Park.
It was already pretty warm out in the sun, but the shaded areas felt nice.
Needles from the trail.
After a couple miles we started climbing up to Chesler Park.
Chesler Park Needles
Chesler Park Trail
Even more beautiful was Chesler Park. We approached it by jeep over a 300-foot escarpment, thence down Devil’s Lane and finally through a well-masked passageway in the park’s ring of stone towers.
Chesler, named for a rancher who drove cattle into it in 1885, is little more than three miles square but as lovely a spot as the West affords. Its warmly colored walls rise 600 feet, shutting it off from everything but the clear, blue sky. On its floor lies a blanket of thick grass, patched with acres of yellow wild mustard; a spring provides fresh water.
We pitched camp in a giant cave hollowed from a stone island in the park’s center. This reef was a lovely place. Perhaps half a mile long, it built up to a cluster of pinnacles about 400 feet high.
After getting our tent and camp setup, we headed out to explore the old road into Chesler Park.
We were in search of an old cowboy line camp and knew we were getting close when we came across this old brush fence across a narrow part of the canyon.
It wasn’t long until we stumbled upon the old cowboy camp. I had seen a photo of this old camp taken in 1978 and it appeared that all the historic relics were still here, just not in the same place as they were in the photo.
This bucket had been hanging from a tree in the photo from 1978.
Cowboy Camp Remains
Above the old cowboy camp we found this constructed log ramp that went up to a large pothole that usually held water.
Above the log ramp.
The pothole was completely dry, which wasn’t too surprising with the dry winter we’ve had on the Colorado Plateau this year…
Once we reached the main road in Chesler Canyon, we looped back around to camp via the road and the Joint Trail.
Chesler Wash
While we rested at the Joint Trailhead it had become mostly cloudy out and I was worried that sunset was going to be a bust this evening, but when we started hiking up the Joint Trail the clouds started to clear a bit and sunlight made an appearance again.
Joint Trail View
Chesler Canyon Needles
Climbing up the stone stairs into the ex-Cave of Cairns.
Hiking through The Joint.
When we climbed out of The Joint into Chesler Park we quickly hiked over to the nearby overlook and were just in time to watch a beautiful sunset.
Diane was happy to rest her feet and enjoy the view from the overlook.
It was a lovely evening in the heart of The Needles.
Chesler Park Sunset
Chesler Park Reef
This cracked boulder in the light caught my attention as we hiked back to our campsite.
We made it back to camp shortly before the sun disappeared behind Gunsight Butte in Sunset Pass.
Last Light on the Chesler Park Reef
The don’t call it Sunset Pass for nothing!
Chesler Park at Dusk
It had been a long day, so once the sun was down and the light was gone we both went to bed pretty early and fell asleep quickly. The temperature didn’t get too cold overnight and I slept very well.
We woke up just in time to watch the sunrise on Sunday morning from camp.
Needles Morning
I was even able to see my favorite spire from camp. It looks like an eagle sitting on the rock to me.
Behind the Reef
Once the sun was up, we took our time packing up camp and then started hiking out of Chesler Park.
We stopped to enjoy the view from the Elephant Canyon Overlook.
Then we stopped at the Chesler Park Viewpoint before leaving Chesler Park behind.
When we reached the crossing of Elephant Canyon, instead of following the trail back to the trailhead we headed down the canyon to where the Elephant Hill Road crossed the wash because this is the only section of Elephant Canyon, from Druid Arch to the large pour-over about two miles upstream from the Colorado River, that I had not hiked before. Once we reached the Elephant Hill Road we followed it back over Elephant Hill to the trailhead. Since I have driven over Elephant Hill many times in the past I figured it was finally time to hike over it at least once!
Hiking down Elephant Canyon.
Overall, we had very nice weather and temperatures for early March, found some nice ancient and historic relics along the way, and I got to test out my new backpacking gear which all seemed to work out well, so far. It really was a great way to spend the first weekend of March in Canyonlands!
Rock Art of The Needles
Although we didn’t find the specific pictograph panel I was looking for this weekend, we did find a few small rock art sites along the way.
A small petroglyph panel.
A very tiny and faded Barrier Canyon Style pictograph.
Here’s a Dstretch version that brings it out a little better.
Here’s another very faded and small Barrier Canyon Style pictograph.
Dstretch helps bring out the details.
Little Mudglyphs
Handprints
Fantastic. I’ve not been back to The Needles District since 2019, and this report really makes me want to get back in there. Shoot – it’s been several years for all of Canyonlands, really – what a beautiful place.
Out of curiosity – when you have a specific panel in mind that you’re looking for, and end up not finding it, how long do you hunt before moving on?
Dan, it really depends on how much I want to find the panel, how much terrain there is to search and how much time I have. In this case, I really wanted to find the panel, but there were so many places to search it would have taken days or weeks to see it all, and we had to give up because we ran out of time and wanted to get back to camp for sunset.
Just curious. Was searching for a specific (rabbit) glyph at a petroglyph site last week (DVNP) and couldn’t find it. After seeing pretty much everything else, I poked around for another hour before heading a couple miles back to camp. Later that day, I trekked back to the site and searched another hour; still didn’t find it, lol.
Reviewed some photos when I got service again later, and I feel like I’ve got a better sense of where it is for next time, but was still surprised that in a reasonably small area and a focused search, two-plus hours left me empty handed.
Seems like you’ve always got great panels *and* cover a lot of ground, so really just wondered how often you find yourself in a prolonged search.
Great photos Randy! Glad Diane was able to get out, weather looked nice for a hiking trip. May I ask where Diane got her case or the brand of the case she has her camera in?
Thanks again, I always enjoy your photos and information on your trips.
We have dayhiked Chesler many times, as well as pretty much all of the other trails at Needles, but your photos give inspiration to return!