Here is no water but only rock. Rock and no water and the sandy road.
-T.S. Eliot

CANYONLANDS, Utah - It appears to be a place time forgot. The bottom of an inland sea millennia ago, magnificent sandstone spires and buttresses dominate the present landscape. When the wind stops, you hear nothing, and that, even more than the superlative views is what stands out.

This other worldly place is in rather close proximity to the Front Range. For most cars it's a tank full of gas, some good travelling music and a rest stop break away. Yet there are many Coloradans who have never visited Canyonlands National Park, let alone the Needles District.

Though that is slowly changing. Paul Henderson, public information officer for both Canyonlands and Arches National parks, said visitors are beginning to come a little bit earlier and later in the year; in essence, the shoulder season is getting broader. The weather can be an unknown variable in the spring, swinging from snow squalls to being scorched by the sun. The key is to dress in layers.

"We had a little skiff of snow," Henderson said on Thursday. Spring is all about layers and being prepared. It can be chilly in the morning and you'll be peeling that sweater off by 11 a.m.

While Canyonlands is a worthy destination anytime of the year, though the summer heat is unbearable for some, the spring is when the desert comes alive. But don't blink. Spring can literally happen in an instant. The desert seems to be silently waiting and the next morning, a camper can be greeted by a vivid bouquet of color, which magically bloomed with the rising sun.

Predicting the desert bloom is like finding a sustainable water source in the summer, nearly impossible. "We should end up with good wildflowers this year," Henderson said. "This is when it gets dicey though. We could get some nice rain or one day it can turn and be 105 degrees and stay that way."

And yes, there is water in the desert in the spring. Though it comes with a caveat and visitors should pack their own water in; the rule of thumb is a gallon a day.

"People tend to forget there are reliable water sources, especially in the spring," Henderson said. "But you have to remember, all of the wildlife is counting on those water sources too. I figure if I'm able-bodied enough to hike some place, I am able to carry my own water too."

Another tip is to make reservations or to be flexible. It is possible to enter the Needles and not see another person. However the number of backcountry campsites is limited in the park to minimize human impact. Even car camping at Squaw Flats campground in the Needles District is highly contested. The good news is there are some BLM sites outside of the park that are in close proximity and worthy second choices.

The scarcity of camping is part of the allure of The Needles. The district receives half the amount of visitors as the Island in the Sky District, located much closer to Moab and much more family-friendly. Canyonlands National Park receives 400,000 visitors a year. Compare that with neighboring Arches National Park, which receives over 800,000 annual visitors yet is much smaller in size.

The difference between Island in the Sky and The Needles is between watching and doing. Island in the Sky offers stunning panoramic views of what the raw power of the Colorado and Green rivers carved out over thousands of years.

In The Needles, you are weaving up and over the scenery, snaking through slots, really merely shoulder-width fissures, in the sandstone, climbing up to slickrock passes, around obelisks and citadels that appear to be created for some grandiose reason.

"Island in the Sky is the easy one to bag for Canyonlands," Henderson said. "When people say I only have one day, I usually send them to Island in the Sky."

A warning should be heeded by first-time visitors though, besides layer on the sunscreen. It is very easy to fall in love with the place. "Moab is full of students who came out with internships with the Student Conservation Association," Henderson said. "They came to do a 12 to 14 week stint, and now it is 20 years later and they are still here. People fall in love with red rock country and figure out some way to make a living here."