The crimson tide of evening floods the weathered folds Cedar Mesa sandstone, tracing silhouettes of geologic time. More than 200 million years ago, shallow seas and wind began depositing layers of sand to create the sedimentary stone now exposed in Canyonlands National Park. As the landmass rose to its current elevation, water drained across its face, carving a panoply of canyons and stone formations. Designated in 1964, the park currently preserves 337,598 acres.