Wilhite Trail, Island in the Sky, Canyonlands National Park, Utah

Got permits one minute before the ranger station closed — blind luck and they were reluctant to open the computer. Cooked dinner at the Wilhite trailhead before hiking out to the rim with an hour of sunlight remaining.

Got turned around finding the route around a couple ridges to the lip of the rim. Winds blowing at a sustained 30-35 mph as the sun set and the cooler air moved over the desert. Eventually found the trail that descends from the rim — the jaw-dropping view of the valley basin and the Green River stopped us cold. The sheer cliff dropped at least 350ft to a long scree slope that continued another 300ft to the basin floor, with the Green River cutting another couple hundred feet into that. A painting-like view that these photos did not capture.

Set up a tent just under a few small outcroppings and behind a tree as the winds held constant. As night fell the shooting stars and the Milky Way never looked more defined and bright. Simply amazing. I highly recommend camping at Island in the Sky for anyone in the region — after Tierdrop Canyon in Arches, this was the perfect end to the day.