Journey to the Broken Plains: A Guide to Chesler Park & The Joint Trail

Another Elephant Shaped Rock in Chesler Park

The Needles District of Canyonlands National Park is a place of truly unique geology. The land here was cracked in a grid-like formation, and over eons, water eroded the cracks, leaving behind a stunning landscape of tall, needle-like columns and huge, mushroom-shaped rocks clustered together. My husband, Todd, said it looked exactly like he imagined the "Broken Plains" from Brandon Sanderson's "The Way of Kings," and I have to agree. This is the story of our adventure into this otherworldly landscape, a journey to hike the famous Chesler Park and Joint Trail.

The Golden Nugget 🌟

Don't Miss This: The Joint Trail! While the views from the Chesler Park overlook are stunning, the real magic begins when you descend into the Joint Trail. This section of the hike takes you through an incredibly long and deep, narrow fracture in the rock. It's a fantastic, unexpected slot canyon experience that makes you feel like you're walking through the very cracks of the earth.

TRANSPORT YOURSELF TO THE NEEDLES

Grab your VR headset and transport yourself to this fantastic adventure in Canyonlands National Park. This journey will take you wandering above, below, and through these incredible "Needle" and mushroom formations. I loved this adventure, and I think you will too. Enjoy some "Me Time" today and transport yourself to somewhere beautiful!

"If this analogy is compared to our life, and we come as a simple block, and challenges and hardships keep taking away from us, I hope in the end that we can stand as a magnificent interesting tower that has grown stronger from our difficulties."

Adventure at a Glance

🏞️ Location: Canyonlands National Park, Needles District, Utah
🚶‍♀️ Activity: Strenuous Hiking
⭐ Shauna's Rating: 💎💎💎💎💎 (5 out of 5 Diamonds)
☀️ Best For: Unique geological formations, a challenging and rewarding loop hike, incredible views.
⏳ Recommended Time: This is a long hike. Plan for 5-7 hours to complete the full loop.
🧭 Can't-Miss Sights: The Chesler Park overlook, the narrow Joint Trail, the mushroom rocks.

My Chesler Park Story

On my first visit to Chesler Park, we didn't go much further than the main overlook. The view of the mushroom-shaped rocks and the "Needles" in the distance was incredible, but I knew I had to come back to explore the famous Joint Trail. On my return, I finally conquered the full loop! I loved every bit of it (except for the long, boring walk on the dirt road at the very end). The hike has fun bouldering challenges, tiny staircases carved into the rock, and a surprisingly long and amazing slot canyon section on the Joint Trail. It was everything I had hoped for and more.

Your Trail Guide: Helpful Hints

♦️ It's a Long Drive: The Needles District is in a remote part of Canyonlands. Be prepared for a long drive just to get to the trailhead. A high-clearance vehicle is recommended for the final stretch.
♦️ Pack Plenty of Water: This is a long, strenuous hike in a very exposed desert environment. You must carry more water than you think you will need, especially in the summer.
♦️ Follow the Cairns: The trail can sometimes be difficult to follow across the slickrock. Pay close attention to the rock cairns (small man-made stacks of rocks) that mark the way.
♦️ The Full Loop: The Chesler Park Loop combined with the Joint Trail is about an 11-mile journey. It's a challenging but incredibly rewarding day hike.

Chesler Park Canyonlands Needles District

2D Trailer Video of Chesler Park

360 Video of Needles District Canyonlands National Park

Make sure you rotate this around so you can see everything. The best way to watch this is by putting on VRHeadset and Transporting yourself here using YouTubeVR - ShaunasAdventures or using my Oculus Portfolio Link

https://creator.oculus.com/community/109816967492217/

Old Insta 360 Video of Chesler Park. Try using the fun toggle buttons in the bottom right corner to change it to Tiny Planet, or other variations.

I wish this photo showed how cool the area is behind my cute hubby. You can see a section of Needles in the left background, but right off his elbow there is tons of mushroom shaped rocks with cracks between them. Todd said it looked like what he imagined the Broken Plains would look from A Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson. Now that he said that, I would definitely agree. We didn't go much further than this area of Chesler park, but this trail goes further called the Joint Trail or Chesler Park Loop, and you get down into some of these formations. It is supposed to be quite something.

Hubby at Lookout at Chesler Park Canyonland Needles District

Tiny Planet Version of Above Video

More Mushroom Formations along Chesler Park Trail

2D Version of the Mushroom Area Video if you like that Better

Chesler Park Sign

Here is the sign letting us know we actually made it to Chesler Park. From here it is a launch to an even better trail called the Joint Trail of the Chesler Park Loop Trail. If you use the new version above, I went back and conquered the Joint Trail. It was awesome! I loved every bit of it, except walking on the dirt road at the back end. I love the challenges with the boldering. I loved the Slot Canyons, but I was shocked at how long the slot canyon section was. I loved all the tiny staircases. You will see all these fun spots in the Newest video above.

Here is the Trail map

Needles Trail Map

We didn't make it to Druid Arch, but Anne did, and here is her post on Druid Arch.

Annes trip to Druid Arch

Some of my Favorite Structures in Chesler Park

I loved this enormous tower column in Chesler Park

I loved this triangle shaped rock in Chesler Park

Waterfall and Tower Column in Chesler Park

And I loved this Waterfall area in Chesler Park. It would have been so cool to see it running. It is in the top left corner.

Chesler Park Trail is fabulous for enjoying interesting Geological Layering of Rocks.

This is a section down inside the mushroom shaped rocks that are common in Canyonlands National Park Needles District. The needles district was formed by the earth cracking into a grid like shape, and then water kept going down into these cracks and eroding away the earth in the cracks. In some areas it left tall needle shaped columns, and others it looks like lots of mushroom rocks scrunched together, or like what you would imagine the Broken plains being like in The Way Of Kings by Brandon Sanderson. As you get down into this section of mushroom shaped rocks there are layers and layers of rock making unbelievably cool land formations. My lesson I learned from this trail, is that if I apply this to people, and decide to not keep relationships superficial, but really get into deeper relationships you might find there are really interesting layers that are fun to learn about. Hiking heals, get out and enjoy one of the less populated trails on my blog today.

Here is the National Park Service description of how the formations here were made. There are also many signs around the Needles park with great visuals describing the process.

Link to the National Park service description of how the Needles district was formed.

Hubby Catching Shade in front of Interesting Layered Rock along the Trail.

Here is a 360 Video in one of my Favorite Sections where the Layered Rock is especially interesting.

Remember this is a 360 Video so you are in charge and you need to move around to see the interesting stuff. Of course the best way to watch this 360 Video is by putting on a VRHeadset ,and watching it in YouTubeVR - ShaunasAdventures.

Cool Layered round rocks.

More Layered Rock Formations on Chesler Park Trail
- Needles District Canyonlands National Park -

TINY PLANET VIDEO OF FAVORITE LAYERED ROCK AREA IN NEEDLES CANYONLAND

Because the Geological Surface is so fascinating here, the Tiny Planet Version is very interesting. Here it is if you are interested in checking it out.

Chesler Park Trail Needles District of Canyonlands

Walking over a Cool Arch along the trail

2D Video of Layered Rock Video if you Like That Better

Coming out of a Slot Canyon on Chelser Park Canyonlands Needles District

ELEPHANT MOUNTAIN

One feature to look for on the Chesler Park Trail is Elephant Rock. It is near the beginning of the hike maybe a mile in, and it will be on your right. I looked and looked to try and figure out how this rock was shaped like an elephant, and then I noticed on top a rock that does look like a cute little elephant.

Elephant Mountain

Elephant in crack on upper right corner on Elephant Mountain along Chesler Park Trail

HOWEVER...

I think this rock in Chesler Park with an Arch for a trunk looks even more like an Elephant. It is just right of center if you are having a hard tine seeing it.

SLOTS, STEPS and NARROW ALLEYS

on the CHESLER PARK TRAIL

Chesler Park trail in Canyonlands is packed with stairs.

It was quite amazing the craftsmanship on this trail to make the many stairs along the way. Some of them were work of art by some skilled people. It makes areas that would have otherwise been rough to get through quite simple. Still by the end it feels like you have been doing a StairMaster machine for quite a while!

Enormous Sacred Thorn Apple Flower at the Entrance of Chesler Park Trail

360 Video at Entrance with Stairs and a Slot Canyon in Canyonlands

This video is the entrance of the Chesler Park Trail. It has a few sections on the trail where you are in a narrow slot and it is all dark around you, then you climb out to enjoy the brightness of the Sun. In our crazy world, it is easy to have moments of darkness where you feel the craziness of our world crushing in on your soul. It makes it hard. Me to press forward to the light and not stay in the darkness, THE SON also is your brother who loves you dearly. Both He and your Father in Heaven love you more than your earthly mind can co pretend and are urging you to press on, to remember them and communicate with them. They want to be your support through this troubling time. They are there, just open the door and let them into your heart and lives and they will hold your hand to lead you out of the darkness. Sending love from me to you to encourage you to work your way out of darkness when it comes.

Of course the best way to watch this video is by grabbing a VRHeadset and transporting yourself here using YouTubeVR-ShaunasAdventures.