Hike to Upheaval Dome in Canyonlands, UT

Of all the geological structures in Canyonlands, Utah, Upheaval Dome is one with it’s on mysterious story. In an area roughly three miles across, deformed layers of rock are pushed up into a circular structure called a dome. Surrounding this dome is a syncline which is a bend in a rock layer caused by forces within the crust of the earth. How did this happen and what caused these shapes at Upheaval Dome? This is the question that is keeping geologists up late at night eating bonbons (hope they worked out). While they don’t know for sure how the dome was created, there are two popular theories. 

The salt dome theory states that the thick layer of salt that much of southeastern Utah sits on was pushed up through the rock layers over millions of years and created a “salt bubble” that created the dome. If this theory were to be true, If true, Upheaval Dome would be the most deeply eroded salt structure on earth.

The second theory is the impact crater theory. This theory states that roughly 60 million years ago, a meteorite with a diameter of approximately one-third of a mile hit at what is now the Upheaval Dome. Geologist find that this is the more likely scenario because of the similarities in impact craters between Upheaval Dome and the famous Meteor Crater near Winslow, Arizona. 

Regardless of what theory you believe, the mystery and the detective work to uncover the truth behind the dome makes visiting this enigmatic structure worth the price of admission. 

We set out to uncover the truth of Upheaval Dome with our own two eyes … six? Eight? There are two overlooks. The First Overlook is .3 miles up the trail, while the Second Overlook is .8 miles. The terrain is fairly clear and equipped with sturdy, red-rock steps and open pathways. There is a slight elevation on the hike but nothing that a four year couldn’t handle. Once we reached the rim overlooking Upheaval Dome we started our detective work. Looking far and wide, scoping out structures and googling basically everything, we finally came to a very strong conclusion on which theory we sided with … until this damn old fella came over and chatted us up. “You know, I come up here all the time. I hike this trail year round. A meteor created this thing.” Well there it was. How can we argue with a man who loves this trail? We can’t. Geologists be damned, the old fella had it figured out. 

Overall, the hike is very easy and fun to see in-person. Playing the role of detective to figure out how Upheaval Dome was created made the hike even more fun. If you get a chance to explore Canyonlands, Utah, make sure you hike Upheaval Dome and put in some good old fashioned detective work to help solve one of America’s geological mysteries.