The Lathrop Trail runs from Grays Pasture to White Rim Road in Canyonlands National Park. This strenuous trail is part of the only marked route from the mesa top to Colorado River. After 1.35 miles in open grasslands, the trail follows wavy slickrock and contours of the canyon rim another 1.65 miles before the descent. Once in open desert travel moderates to White Rim Road, where you can pick up Lathrop Canyon Road and continue down to the river.

The trail skirts a cluster of Navajo Sandstone domes, which are relatively uncommon in Island In The Sky; Wingate and Kayenta are more prevalent top layer rocks

The trail ends in sparsely vegetated open desert, a sharp contrast to the rich pasture and slickrock rim at the beginning of the trail

The White Rim formation was deposited during the Permian Period 245 - 286 M years ago

Pale Evening Primrose are one of the most ubiquitous and versatile flowers in Canyonlands, found from the mesa top to low desert

The galleta and blue grama of Grays Pasture are sod-forming perennial grasses that are foraged extensively by mule deer and bighorn sheep

Erosion has exposed the 'layer cake' deposition of sediments on the Colorado Plateau; open desert provides a top-to-bottom look at the park's geologic history

Pillars-in-the-making along the canyon rim

Scorpionweed is an annual shrub of the Phacelia family; distinguished by curled, hairy limbs from which it derives its colloquial name

The Lathrop Trail drops 880' in just under a mile from the rim to base of the cliffs

Prince's Plume is a drought tolerant perennial that can reach 5', named so for its feathery yellow tip

Collared Lizards can run in an upright position on only their back legs

The Lathrop Trail follows a creative, zig-zagging route around impassable vertical walls

Most visible rock in Canyonlands was deposited from the Permian to mid-Jurassic Period, 285 - 210 years ago

Hikers are exposed to afternoon storms across the mesa top and Grays Pasture, especially July - August

Blackbrush is drought-deciduous, meaning it can become temporarily dormant and shed older leaves

Hikers will enjoy lengthy sections of wavy, rolling slickrock along the canyon rim

Looking south towards the Needles District on the Lathrop Trail