Two and a half miles farther north, or about 2 miles south of Anticline
Overlook, a short road leads to the west and entirely around a small
conical butte of the Navajo Sandstone. This new circular drive has not
yet been formally named and is simply called the U-3 loop, as designated
in the surveyor’s notebook. It affords splendid views to the west and is
to be equipped with picnic tables. Looking west (fig. 29) we see a
W-shaped loop of the Colorado River, Dead Horse Point on the right
skyline, and Island in the Sky on the distant skyline. The strata
curving over Shafer dome appear in the right middle background.
[Illustration: VIEW WESTWARD FROM U-3 LOOP. Dead Horse Point on
right skyline, Island in the Sky capped by Navajo Sandstone in
extreme distance, Kayenta Formation in foreground at left. Cliffs
topping ridge at left are Wingate Sandstone protected by caprock of
the Kayenta Formation; red slopes beneath cliffs are Chinle
Formation, with dark ledge of Moss Back Member at base; steep slopes
and ledges beneath are Moenkopi Formation, lower part of which is
Hoskinnini Tongue; reddish gentle slopes below are Cutler Formation;
nearly flat benches above Colorado River are Rico Formation, with
Shafer limestone at top. (Fig. 29)]