Phase IV Paleontological resource inventory and monitoring of the Needles, and Island in the Sky Districts, Canyonlands National Park, Utah

DeBlieux, Donald

The rocks of Canyonlands National Park (CANY) contain scientifically significant fossils, particularly within the Triassic strata. From 2020 through 2024, the Utah Geological Survey conducted a phased paleontological survey and inventory, focusing on the Triassic Moenkopi and Chinle Formations and the Permian Cutler Group/Cedar Mesa Sandstone across the park’s districts that include Island in the Sky (ISKY), Needles (NEED), Maze (MAZE) and the adjacent Orange Cliffs Unit of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (OCGC). The initial three phases of this project are summarized in previous reports that document 185 new fossil localities, notably a significant concentration of tetrapod tracks in the Moenkopi Formation and numerous vertebrate fossils in the Chinle Formation. This report gives the results of Phase IV, which was completed in 2025. This phase concentrated on the Cedar Mesa Sandstone in NEED and the Moenkopi Formation in ISKY. Key accomplishments include the finding and documentation of a previously recorded tracksite in the Cedar Mesa Sandstone of NEED and the discovery of 39 new tracksites in the Torrey Member of the Moenkopi Formation in ISKY. The cumulative data from the four phases provide essential baseline information for research and resource management across CANY. Specifically, the extensive documentation of tracksites in the Moenkopi Formation significantly expands knowledge of Early Triassic vertebrate diversity and provides a foundation for future scientific investigation within the park.