Canyonlands National Park - Navajo Sandstone
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. Much of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, the cliff walls of Zion National Park and the Petrified dunes in Arches National Park are also Navajo Sandstone.