Half a mile southwest of the parking lot is one of the narrowest stretches of Rim Rock Drive at the edge of a Wingate cliff that actually overhangs. But do not worry, it is well protected by a rock wall. At the head of the canyon is a large jumbled landslide of the Morrison Formation that has covered the cliff of Entrada Sandstone. Along the narrow stretch and just beyond the landslide are excellent views on the right of the erosional unconformity between the eroded surface of the Kayenta Formation and the overlying Slick Rock Member of the Entrada Sandstone, a view of which is shown in [figure 15] and a discussion of which is given on pages [35] to 39.
PIPE ORGAN
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From the next parking area to the northeast at Pipe Organ Overlook we may hike half a mile over Otto’s Trail to an overlook of the Pipe Organ; a view of the Pipe Organ from the northwest is shown in [figure 49]. From about the middle of this trail we may look to the northwest across the canyon to the Visitor Center and the Saddlehorn ([fig. 50]).
DEPENDENCE VIEW
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At the next parking area at Independence View we see Independence Monument ([fig. 51]) from quite a different angle than the photograph shown in [figure 6]. This view clearly shows it to be a thin erosional remnant of a narrow wall that once connected mesas to the northeast and southwest and which separated the two entrances of Monument Canyon.
GRAND VIEW
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Grand View, six-tenths of a mile farther southeast, affords excellent views of several features in and near Monument Canyon. A short improved trail to the northeast leads to a sandstone ledge from which the infrared photograph for the front cover was taken. The trail then veers eastward to a fenced cliff-top viewpoint from which one may look nearly straight down to a stretch of Monument Canyon Trail. You may see hikers on the trail or buffalo in the canyon. The photograph for [figure 6] was taken from a point just north of the north end of the parking area.