Canyonlands National Park
Introduction
Canyonlands is the largest national park in Utah, and its diversity staggers the imagination. It is divided into three districts by the Green and Colorado Rivers - the Island in the Sky, the Needles and the Maze. Named for their most prominent geologic characteristics, these districts are quite varied in what they have to offer.
 Green River Overlook Island in the Sky District |
Island in the Sky
This section of the park sits atop a massive 1500 foot mesa - quite literally an Island in the Sky. 20 miles of paved roads lead to many of the most spectacular views in Canyon Country. From these lofty viewpoints visitors can see nearly 100 miles in any given direction, resulting in panoramic views that encompass thousands of square miles of canyon country.
Take a short day-hike or spend a relaxing late afternoon enjoying the sunset. Whether you have a few hours to spend or a few days, the Island in the Sky provides an unforgettable Canyon Country experience for the entire family.
The Needles
A ten mile paved scenic drive gives visitors a wonderful taste of what The Needles was named after - beautiful sandstone spires that jut out of the ground creating an unforgettable spectacle. For those willing to venture off the paved roads, however, this section offers an amazing diversity of terrain. Arches, canyons, grabens, and beautiful sculpted rock formations await hikers, backpackers and 4WD enthusiasts. The scenic drive can be done in an hour or two, however hikers and 4 wheel drive enthusiasts will need at least a day or two to get a good taste of this section.
The Maze
Definitely considered the wildest district in Canyonlands National Park, the Maze ranks as one of the most remote and inaccessible sections in the United States. There is, in the Maze itself, a perplexing jumble of canyons that has been described as a "30 square mile puzzle in sandstone". If you crave solitude and are ready for some serious backcountry travel and hiking, the Maze may be just what you're looking for.
Time Required
Exploration of Canyonlands National Park is as varied as the multiple districts of the park. Visitors just passing through the area can get a great introduction to the park in just a few hours. Those wanting to experience some of the park's hiking trails can easily spend a full day or more. Multi-day visitors can explore the huge assortment of varied terrain in the park's backcountry.
| Available Time | Suggested Activities |
| A Few Hours | Island in the Sky The Needles |
| 1/2 Day | Island in the Sky The Needles |
| Full Day | Island in the Sky The Needles |
| Several Days | Island in
the Sky The Needles The Maze |
Biking
|
Canyonlands is famous for its mountain biking terrain, particularly for the 100-mile White Rim Road at the Island in the Sky. The Maze also offers some multi-day trip possibilities, though the logistics and roads are more difficult (for the support vehicles, not the bikes). Many of the roads in the Needles travel up wash bottoms and are unsuitable for bikes due to deep sand and water. Permits are required for all overnight trips in the backcountry. Permits are not required for day rides. During the spring and fall, demand for permits frequently exceeds the number available. If you plan to visit Canyonlands during peak season, especially to camp along the White Rim Road, it is recommended that you make reservations well in advance. These permits can be reserved starting the second Monday in July for the next calendar year.
The Rivers
The Colorado and Green rivers wind through the heart of Canyonlands, cutting through layered sandstone to form two deep canyons. Both rivers are calm upstream of the Confluence, ideal for canoes, kayaks and other shallow water craft. Below the Confluence, the combined flow of both rivers spills down Cataract Canyon with remarkable speed and power, creating a world-class stretch of white water.
Photography
Canyonlands is a paradise for photographers. Under conditions of constantly changing light, the varicolored landscape provides limitless photographic opportunities. Often, the difference between an average photograph and an exceptional photograph is good lighting. Low sun angles at sunrise and sunset can add brilliant color to the rock. Scattered clouds can also add depth to an image and a passing storm can provide extremely dramatic lighting.
Camping
| Campground | Description |
Willow Flat Campground |
Located at the Island in the Sky, the Willow Flat Campground is a short walk from one of the finest sunset spots in the park: Green River Overlook. Twelve sites are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Sites include picnic tables, fire grates and vault toilets. No water. Maximum RV length is 28 feet. Group size limit is 10 people and 2 vehicles. Fee is $10 per night. Willow Flat typically fills every day from late March through June and again from early September to mid-October. |
Squaw Flat Campground |
Located in the Needles, Squaw Flat Campground is an ideal base camp for day hikes to popular destinations like Chesler Park, Druid Arch and the Joint Trail. There are 26 sites available on a first-come, first-served basis. Bathrooms, fire grates, picnic tables, tent pads and water available year-round. Group size limit is 10 people and 2 vehicles. Maximum RV length is 28 feet. Fee is $15 per night. Squaw Flat typically fills every day from late March through June and again from early September to mid-October. |
| The Maze | There are no developed campgrounds in this district. However, there are designated backcountry four-wheel-drive campsites in the Maze and Orange Cliffs. Backcountry permits (fee charged) are required for all overnight backcountry use. Reservations are recommended. A portable, washable, reusable toilet system is required for all overnight backcountry use. |
| Backcountry Camping | Primitive backcountry campsites and at-large backpacking zones exist in each district of Canyonlands. These sites may be accessed by foot, 4WD vehicle or boat. Permits are required for all overnight trips and may be reserved in advance. |
Lodging
No lodging is available within the park. However, there is a wide variety of accommodations available in the town of Moab, just 30 miles east of the Island in the Sky district of the park. Click here for a list of accommodations in the Moab area.
Weather & Climate
The climate in Canyonlands is extremely dry. Most precipitation falls in early spring and late summer. Summer highs often exceed 100 Degrees Fahrenheit, with lows in the 60's. Fall and Spring temperatures are milder, with highs in the 70's and 80's. Winter temperatures range from highs in the 40's and 50's to lows well below freezing. Snow is usually light to moderate.
Island in the Sky Hiking Trails
Hikers enjoy the view from the Grand View Point Trail
in the Island in the Sky District
The Island in the Sky offers a wide variety of hiking trails ranging from short 30 minute walks on the mesa top, to overnight expeditions all the way down to the Colorado River. Trails are marked with cairns (small rock piles). Please do not disturb existing cairns or build new ones. Signs are located at trailheads and intersections. All trails leading below the Mesa Top are primitive and rough; carry and know how to use a topographic map. No potable water is available along any of the hiking trails.
| Mesa Top (Easy Trails) | ||||
| Trail | Round Trip Distance |
Round Trip Time |
Elevation Change | Notes |
| Mesa Arch | 0.5mi / 0.8km | 30 minutes | 100ft / 30m | Mornings are best - Beautiful Arch on cliff edge. |
| Murphy Point | 1.3mi / 1.9km | 1 hour | 100ft / 30m | Panoramic view with Henry Mountains. |
| White Rim Overlook | 1.5mi / 2.0km | 1 hour | 25ft / 8m | View of potholes & White Rim Road. |
| Grand View Point | 2.0mi / 3.0km | 1.5 hours | 50ft / 15m | Panoramic view along cliff edge. |
| Mesa Top (Moderate Trails) | ||||
| Trail | Round Trip Distance |
Round Trip Time |
Elevation Change | Notes |
| Neck Spring | 5.0mi / 8.0km | 3 - 4 hours | 300ft / 91m | Springs - Evidence of ranching. |
| Aztec Butte | 2.0mi / 3.0km | 1.5 hours | 225ft / 69m | Steep slickrock to top - Granaries. |
| Whale Rock | 1.0mi / 1.5km | 1 hour | 100ft / 30m | Bare slickrock - Good views. |
| Upheaval Dome to main overlook |
1.0mi / 1.5km | 30 minutes | 50ft / 15m | View into crater |
| Upheaval Dome to second overlook |
2.0mi / 3.0km | 45 minutes | 200ft / 61m | View of crater & upheaval canyon. |
| Mesa Top to White Rim (Steep & Strenuous Trails) | ||||
| Trail | Round Trip Distance |
Round Trip Time |
Elevation Change | Notes |
| Lathrop to White Rim Road |
10mi / 16km | 5- 7 hours | 1600ft / 488m | Views of Colorado River & LaSal Mountains |
| Lathrop to Colorado River |
17mi / 27km | overnight | 2000ft / 610m | River access - Cottonwoods |
| Murphy Loop | 9mi / 14km | 5 - 7 hours | 1400ft / 427m | Panoramic view from hogback. |
| Gooseberry | 6mi / 10km | 4 - 6 hours | 1400ft / 427m | Views of cliffs & LaSal Mountains. |
| Wilhite | 10mi / 16km | 6 - 8 hours | 1600ft / 488m | Slot canyon across White Rim Road. |
| Alcove Spring | 10mi / 16km | 6 - 7 hours | 1300ft / 396m | Large alcove, views of Taylor Canyon. |
| Syncline Loop | 8mi / 13km | 5 - 7 hours | 1300ft / 396m | Canyon hiking - some shade. |
| Syncline Loop: Upheaval Crater Spur |
3mi / 4km | 2 hours | 350ft / 107m | Some scrambling over rocks. |
| Syncline Loop: Upheaval Canyon Spur |
6mi / 10km | 2 - 3 hours | 400ft / 122m | Sandy hike along wash bottom. |
Needles District Hiking Trails
The Needles District offers over 60 miles of interconnecting trails as challenging as they are rewarding. Many different routes are possible, but some of the more common ones are described below. Conditions are primitive. Most trails traverse a mixture of slickrock benches and sandy washes. Longer trails are especially rough and require negotiating steep, rocky passes with drop-offs, narrow areas, and/or ladders. Water in the backcountry is unreliable and frequently scarce. Trails are marked with cairns (small rock piles) and signs at intersections. Pets are not allowed on trails.
| Short Hikes | |||
| Hike | Round Trip Distance |
Round Trip Time |
Notes |
| Roadside Ruin | . 3mi / .5km | 20 min | Easy trail. Leads to an ancestral Puebloan granary. |
| Cave Spring | .6mi / 1km | 45 min | Two ladders. Leads to a historic cowboy camp and prehistoric pictographs. |
| Pothole Point | .6 mi / 1km | 45 min | Uneven slickrock surface. Leads to pothole communities and views of the Needles. |
| Slickrock Trail | 2.4mi / 4km | 2-3 hrs | Uneven slickrock surface. Several viewpoints and
sometimes bighorn sheep. |
| Elephant Hill Trailhead | |||
| Hike | Round Trip Distance |
Round Trip Time |
Notes |
| Chesler Park Viewpoint |
6mi / 10km | 3-4 hrs | This popular trail leads across varied terrain to a pass overlooking a scenic expanse of desert grasses and shrubs surrounded by sandstone spires. |
| Chesler Park Loop / Joint Trail | 11 mi / 18km | 5+ hrs | This loop involves hiking beyond the viewpoint described above. Great views of the Needles formations. The loop around Chesler winds through a series of deep, narrow fractures called the Joint Trail, and travels briefly along a four-wheel-drive road. |
| Druid Arch | 11mi / 18km | 5-7 hrs | This trail offers one of the most spectacular views in the Needles. It follows the Chesler Park access trail to Elephant Canyon, then travels along the canyon bottom across a mixture of deep sand and loose rock all the way to its upper end. The last .25 mile is a steep climb involving one ladder and some scrambling. |
| Big Spring Canyon Overlook Trailhead | |||
| Hike | Round Trip Distance |
Round Trip Time |
Notes |
| Confluence Overlook | 11mi / 18km | 4-6 hrs | Unlike other hikes in the district, this trail traverses mostly dry, open country along the northern edge of the geologic faults that shaped the Needles. Trail ends at a cliff overlooking the junction of the Green and Colorado rivers 1,000 feet below. |
| Squaw Flat Loop "A" Trailhead | |||
| Hike | Round Trip Distance |
Round Trip Time |
Notes |
| Big Spring - Squaw | 7.5mi / 12km | 3-4 hrs | A great introduction to the landscape of the Needles, connecting two canyons for a loop across varied terrain. The route between the canyons climbs steep grades that are dangerous when wet and may make people with a fear of heights uncomfortable. |
| Big Spring - Elephant | 10.8mi / 17km | 4-6 hrs | This loop features extended hiking on slickrock benches and mesa tops overlooking canyons. Excellent views of sheer cliff walls and other rock formations. Two ladders must be climbed in the pass between the canyons. |
| Squaw - Lost |
8.7mi / 14km | 4-6 hrs | Another wonderful loop hike with some difficult sections climbing between the two canyons. Riparian areas in both canyons attract birds and other wildlife. Route in Lost Canyon passes through dense vegetation and may be very wet. One ladder must be climbed. |
| Peekaboo |
10mi / 16.5km | 5-6 hrs | Trail crosses both Squaw and Lost canyons on its way to Salt Creek Canyon, passing along high slickrock benches with spectacular views. Steep slopes and nearby cliff edges make this a challenging route. Two ladders must be climbed. Prehistoric rock art panel may be seen at the end of the trail near Peekaboo camp. |