About a mile northeast of the highest point on the road is a large parking area on the left, from which a short, shaded trail leads to a fenced overlook called Lower Ute Canyon View, which faces the northwest arm of Ute Canyon across the main canyon.
UTE CANYON, looking northeast from point described in text. Note grass-covered alluvium in distant part of canyon floor. (Fig. 52)
RED CANYON OVERLOOK
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About half a mile beyond this parking area, we reach a small parking area at Red Canyon Overlook, from which the photograph shown in [figure 12] was taken. The dark green bush of Mormon Tea in the right foreground of [figure 12] is one of the largest I have seen in the Monument. The reasons for the differences between the left and right walls of the canyon are discussed on pages [79] and [80]. The ripple-marked curbstones of white sandstone in the parking area were quarried from the Moab Member of the Entrada Sandstone northwest of Fruita Canyon, as noted on [page 96].
DS ROAD
COLD SHIVERS POINT
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Another 2½ miles around the south rim of Red Canyon and the head of Columbus Canyon takes us to the junction with the paved county road known as the DS Road, which leads south and southwest to Glade Park and to the head of No Thoroughfare Canyon. This important intersection will be included in trips through Glade Park and around the head of No Thoroughfare Canyon, so it will be discussed later. Meanwhile, we will continue our trip eastward from this intersection. About a third of a mile to the northeast is a large parking area, with a path leading to a fenced overlook at the rim of Columbus Canyon for viewing Cold Shivers Point—perhaps the most aptly titled feature in the Monument ([fig. 53]). A primitive path leads from the overlook to the toadstool-shaped platform at upper right, on which some visitors dare to stand, but not me. When the old, steep Serpents Trail was the only route for autos to ascend from the East Entrance, barrels of water were kept at this parking area to quench the thirst of boiling radiators.