White Rim Overlook

White Rim Overlook is an east-facing viewpoint at the end of a mesa-top walk in Canyonlands' Island in the Sky district. If Grand View Point's lot is full, this is a useful alternative: it gives a similar Monument Basin view with less height exposure on the walk, though its own trailhead parking is very limited. Plan on 1.8 miles round trip and about 1½ hours, for 159 feet of elevation change.

The route starts beside the picnic area near the end of Grand View Point Road. After about 0.1 mile, the trail splits: stay right for White Rim Overlook; the left fork drops steeply down the Gooseberry Trail. The path begins as gravel, then crosses exposed sandstone on a cairn-marked line. Expect uneven rock and stone steps, even though the climb is modest.

At the end, the sandstone point opens onto Monument Basin's buttes and pinnacles, the pale White Rim bench and the Colorado River far below. The La Sal Mountains form the distant horizon. The view is a panorama, not a single framed arch, so take time to pick out the different layers. For photos, include the White Rim and Monument Basin in the same frame, and aim for late afternoon light.

The White Rim is a real geologic layer, not just a color in the view. White Rim Sandstone formed from wind-blown beach sands during the Permian Period, roughly 245 to 286 million years ago. Its white, cross-bedded cliffs and caprock trace the inner gorge carved by the Colorado and Green rivers, giving this overlook its name and the bright band across the red canyon.