Tourist from Colorado found dead in remote area of Utah national park, rangers say

The body of a 48-year-old tourist from Colorado was found in a remote area of a Utah national park, officials said.

A report of an empty vehicle at about 10 a.m., Monday, April 24, in The Maze district in Canyonlands National Park led rangers to find the man’s body, the National Park Service said in an April 26 news release.

He was from Nederland, Colorado, park officials said.

His body was taken to the Utah Office of the Medical Examiner. His cause of death is not known, but authorities are investigating.

The Maze is a remote part of the Canyonlands National Park with difficult roads and trails.

It’s the “least accessible” part of the park, according to the United States Geological Survey.

The area is filled with “deep, labyrinth-like canyons,” that require self-sufficiency and proper equipment, officials said. The area is so remote that visitors typically spend at least three days to a week exploring The Maze, park officials said.

Four-wheel-drive vehicles are allowed, as well as motorbikes and bicycles.

The national park is near Moab in southeast Utah. It is made up of four districts, including Island in the Sky, The Needles, The Maze, and the Green and Colorado rivers.

In 2022, more than 779,000 people visited the national park, according to data from the National Park Service.

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