• Spires of Cedar Mesa sandstone in Chesler Park (Needles District)

    Canyonlands

    National Park Utah

Wingate Sandstone

photo: Morning fog at Grand View Point: wingate cliffs frame the Island in the Sky Mesa top.
Morning fog at Grand View Point: Wingate cliffs frame the Island in the Sky mesa top.
Photo copyright Steve Mulligan
 

Deposited
Early Jurassic (144 to 208 million years ago)

Depositional Environment
Massive, wind-blown sand dunes (like the Sahara today)

Appearance
Towering red cliffs and spires

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

Examples
Tall cliffs and features like Candlestick Tower and Junction Butte at the Island in the Sky District of Canyonlands.

Did You Know?

Summer Monsoon

Much of canyon country's annual precipitation falls during summer monsoons. These dramatic storms often last less than twenty minutes but can cause powerful flash floods despite their brevity.