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Canyonlands National ParkSeedling in Biological Soil Crust
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Canyonlands National Park
Navajo Sandstone
 
Walls of Navajo Sandstone in Horseshoe Canyon
NPS Photo by Neal Herbert
Walls of Navajo Sandstone in Horseshoe Canyon
 

Deposited
Mid-Jurassic (144 to 208 million years ago)

Depositional Environment
Massive, wind-blown sand dunes

Appearance
Light-colored (white to tan), heavily cross-bedded cliffs and domes.

Notes
Dinosaur tracks sometimes appear in the Navajo. Navajo Sandstone is a member of the Glen Canyon Group which also includes Kayenta and Wingate and is the primary aquifer in the Moab area.

Examples
Navajo Sandstone is the youngest, dominant rock layer in Canyonlands. This layer forms buttes along the scenic drive in the Island in the Sky District, as well as the cliff walls of upper Horseshoe Canyon (around the Great Gallery). Much of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Zion National Park and the Petrified dunes in Arches National Park are also Navajo Sandstone.

Interactive Geologic Atlas
Interactive Geologic Atlas
Flash animations manage to simplify the story of Canyonlands.
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Jurassic Journey
Jurassic Journey
Travel back in time to the shore of a Jurassic lake.
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Juniper Berries  

Did You Know?
The Utah juniper, one of the most common trees in the southwest, has the ability to self-prune. During droughts, these trees will cut off fluids from one or more branches so that the rest of the tree can survive.
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Last Updated: July 11, 2006 at 13:26 EST