12 Incredible Things to do in Canyonlands National Park Utah

When it comes to exploring the champion scenes of quality successful Utah, look nary further than Canyonlands National Park. This expansive godforsaken scenery is wherever you’ll find level mesa’s, towering rocky pinnacles (called Needles) and Native American stone paintings.

Needless to say, determination are plentifulness of things to bash successful Canyonlands National Park successful Utah, you’ll beryllium pleased you made a halt here.

We enjoyed 2 days exploring this nationalist park, and consciousness we uncovered overmuch of its apical attractions and places to see.

In this guide, we stock our apical tips connected the champion things to bash successful Canyonlands National Park including the champion hikes, scenic drives, however to get there, wherever to stay, and more!

Where is Canyonlands National Park?

Canyonlands National Park is 1 of 5 nationalist parks successful Utah. The closest municipality is Moab, which is situated astir 30 miles distant from the Islands of the Sky District, and 60 miles from The Needles District.

The added bonus of its determination is that it is besides adjacent Arches National Park, which means you tin transverse disconnected Arches and Canyonlands National Park which are 2 incredibly divers nationalist parks astatine the aforesaid time!

Canyonlands is simply a rugged, untamed onshore with mostly unpaved roads and primitive trails. If you question adventure, you tin find it successful abundance here.

Directions to Canyonlands National Park

It takes conscionable nether an hr from Moab to get to the Islands of the Sky District. It takes implicit an hr (depending connected wherever you depart from successful Moab) to get to the Needles District.

Moab to Canyonlands is 30 miles and takes 40 minutes to drive. From Arches National Park to Canyonlands, it’s 26 miles and takes 30 minutes to drive.

3 Districts of Canyonlands National Park

Islands successful the Sky District – presumption from Mesa Arch Trail

Canyonlands is unsocial successful that it is separated into 3 districts stretching crossed 527 quadrate miles.

These 3 districts are created by the Colorado and Green Rivers carving their mode done the canyon.

They conscionable up astatine the confluence and proceed moving down south.

The Green and Colorado Rivers signifier a Y done the nationalist parkland creating:

• Islands successful the Sky successful the north
• the Needles District successful the Southeast
• and the Maze District successful the Southwest.

There is nary mode to get implicit the rivers to determination betwixt each territory from wrong the park, you person to thrust done the backcountry. This adds a situation to your sojourn arsenic it means you person to spell retired and thrust the agelong mode astir to get to either section.

The Maze Canyonlands is named for the puzzle the oddly shaped towers, aztec butte, craters, and mesas create.

Here you volition find solitude, soundlessness and plentifulness of escapade and challenges to overcome. In the Maze Utah, you’ll find Horseshoe Canyon which has immoderate of North America’s astir important stone creation astatine The Great Gallery.

So program your travel accordingly.

The Needles District

Things to bash successful Canyonlands National Park: Islands successful the Sky District

Below are immoderate of the champion things to bash successful Canyonlands National Park successful the Islands successful the Sky District.

1. Hike The Mesa Arch Trail

• Distance: 0.5 miles
• Rated: Easy

One of the champion things to bash successful Canyonlands National Park Island successful the Sky is the Mesa Arch hike. It’s lone 0.5 miles instrumentality and is beautiful, absorbing and easy!

I loved the arch and the presumption down it into the canyon and towards the La Sal Mountains. Being popular, you whitethorn request to enactment up to get your photograph taken successful beforehand of the arch – it’s 1 of the astir fashionable Canyonlands hikes!

Be definite to safely thin implicit the stone for a sheer driblet presumption into the canyon. To the close sits a ample stone I urge climbing up for views supra and implicit Mesa Arch.

Sunrise astatine Mesa Arch is meant to beryllium the happening to do. If you are camping astatine Canyonlands it volition marque sunrise astatine Mesa Arch easier.

2. Hike Grand View Point Trail

• Distance: 2 miles circular trip
• Rated: Easy

The Grand View Point Overlook Trail starts with adjacent up views of the White Rim, which is simply a sandstone seat 1,200 feet beneath the Island.

Another 1,000 feet beneath this are the rivers. You won’t beryllium capable to spot them shadowed by the canyon cliffs.

Be definite to measurement distant from the borderline and ticker young children connected the way arsenic determination are nary protective fences and you travel the mesa borderline astir the full way.

At the extremity of the way you tin spot acold distant into the Maze and Needles district, making it 1 of the champion Canyonlands National Park hikes to do!

We did this locomotion successful the day astatine the incorrect clip of the time truthful it was hazy with the prima close successful our eyes. I’ve seen photos with the prima shining connected the presumption and it is spectacular.

So the greeting volition astir apt beryllium better, if you tin clip it that way!

3. Hike Visitor Center Overlook

If determination is 1 viewpoint not to miss erstwhile visiting Island successful the Sky it’s the visitant halfway overlook.

Thankfully, it’s an casual 1 to cheque disconnected astatine the commencement of your trip. Just locomotion crossed the roadworthy from the Canyonlands National Park visitant center and determination it is. It’s a spectacular view!

4. See Buck Canyon Overlook

Along the main thrust you tin propulsion implicit for a speedy look astatine Buck Canyon Overlook.

You whitethorn get the feeling that each the views look the same. If you person time, it’s worthy looking and seeing however each viewpoint has its ain unsocial perspective.

5. Walk Schaffer Canyon and Trail Overlook

I thoroughly urge stopping to get a bully look astatine the switchbacks of this celebrated 4 instrumentality thrust road.

I don’t cognize wherefore but it inspired america to travel backmost different time and thrust down it. The Beast (our F250 truck) conscionable couldn’t beryllium stopped.

6. Admire Green River Overlook

Green River is meant to be a large spot to sojourn for sunset.

If you lone person clip for 1 sunset, I urge skipping this and going to Dead Horse Point alternatively (see extremity below).

Islands successful the Sky, Canyonlands question video

7. Drive The Islands successful the Sky Scenic Drive

We lone did 1 portion of the Islands successful the Sky scenic thrust roadworthy arsenic we ran retired of clip – we did the Grand View constituent conception from the visitant center.

To bash some scenic drives done Island successful the Sky Utah is 34 miles successful total. There’s besides the 100-mile White Rim Road starring that astir and beneath the Island successful the Sky.

Be careful, idiosyncratic went implicit the borderline successful their car portion we visited. We were held up successful the visitant halfway portion the chopper came successful to rescue them.

Pretty scary stuff, arsenic it’s a bully paved road.

Here are a mates of viewpoints we saw connected the Islands of the Sky scenic drive.

8. Drive the Shafer Canyon Road

Driving down the Shafer Canyon switchbacks into the quiescent of the canyon level was an unthinkable experience.

If you person time, and an adventurous spirit, I highly urge it arsenic 1 of the apical things to bash successful Canyonlands National Park!

Check conditions astatine the Visitor Center arsenic you whitethorn request a 4WD. You could astatine slightest thrust the switchbacks successful a 2WD down to the bottom. I wouldn’t urge taking the remainder of the way backmost to Moab successful a 2WD though.

It tin get beauteous rough.

Although, conscionable aft I commented astir however quiescent and serene it was erstwhile we reached the level of the canyon, a convoy of kombis came roaring up the way from Moab.

There were implicit 30 vans connected an adventurous mission, recreating the acquisition of tours which ran tours done this country mode backmost earlier it was a nationalist park.

The 90+ twelvemonth aged archetypal proprietor was starring the kombi lovers. We were good with it breaking the serenity arsenic it was ace chill to spot and perceive astir it.

Once you get down to the level you tin either instrumentality to the Shafer Canyon Viewpoint, thrust deeper into Canyonlands National Park (permit required), oregon instrumentality the roadworthy on the rim to Moab.

I loved driving this roadworthy and coming retired to Horseshoe Bend wherever lone a mates of days earlier we sat supra watching the sunset here. It’s a magnificent spot.

We past drove past a random brackish farm, whose agleam bluish waters was a opposition to the godforsaken red. The roadworthy past spills retired to the Colorado River which you hint backmost to Moab.

It took america astir 3 hours to implicit the Shafer Trail and that was with plentifulness of photography stops. The switchbacks astatine the opening were a batch of amusive and not arsenic scary arsenic I was anticipating.

We had done a akin switchback thrust lone a week oregon truthful earlier successful the Valley of the Gods truthful felt a small amended prepared.

Drive safely and ticker for cars coming the different mode you whitethorn person to pass.

Off roadworthy vehicles and bikes are permitted connected the 100-mile White Rim Trail (permits needed) which is meant to instrumentality astir 2 days to do.

Shafer Trail, Canyonlands Video

Things to bash successful Canyonlands National Park: Needles District

The thrust to the Canyonlands National Park Needles District is rather beauteous beside immense orangish and reddish mesas, and plateaus of the parks border.

Purple wildflowers were successful bloom, cows were grazing successful the emerald greenish valley, and successful the region determination were adjacent a fewer buttes rising up reminding america of Monument Valley and Valley of the Gods.

Be definite to look up astatine the escarpment walls connected the mode done – determination are a fewer bodies crawling up those walls.

The thrust past opens up and successful the region you spot the achromatic and pinkish pinnacles lasting unneurotic that springiness the parkland it’s sanction – the Needles!

In Needles Canyonlands, you’ll find sculptured stone spires, arches, canyons, upheaval dome and potholes.

Names similar Devil’s Kitchen, Whale Rock, Elephant Hill and Caterpillar Arch beckon you to travel visit.

9. Walk the Slickrock Trail

• Distance: 2.4 mile loop
• Rated: Moderate

The Slickrock Trail was a unsocial way implicit the stone look on the rim of a canyon.

The depths into the canyon are obscurity adjacent arsenic heavy arsenic Islands successful the Sky, but inactive instrumentality caution.

The way follows cairns truthful beryllium connected the lookout for them arsenic you walk. We saw loads of lizards on the way.

You get beauteous 360 grade views retired implicit the canyons and crossed to the Needles successful the region connected the mode back, making it different 1 of the champion hikes successful Canyonlands National Park.

10. Hike Pothole Point Trail

• Distance: 0.6 mile loop
• Rated: Easy

This is simply a bully casual way implicit slickrock and passing though divers pothole communities.

There were lone a mates that were filled with water. Be definite not to measurement successful them arsenic they are filled with microscopic forms of life.

I loved immoderate of the stone formations to the right. You bash get a person presumption of the Needles from here, though inactive acold away.

11. Cave Spring Trail

• Distance: 0.6 mile loop
• Rated: Easy

The kids volition bask the Cave Spring Trail, particularly if it is hot.

It’s a abbreviated loop that goes nether the stone rim into caves, past an historical cowboy camp, and prehistoric stone paintings. It finished with 2 ladders up to the apical of the caves for views retired implicit the park.

Some of the different trails I’d emotion to bash successful The Needles District are:

• Chesler Park Viewpoint and the Chesler Park Loop
• Confluence Overlook.

12. Drive to Elephant Hill

The scenic drives continues for 6.5 miles beyond the visitant halfway ending astatine Big Spring Canyon Overlook.

There are respective pullouts for trailheads, viewpoints, and 1 picnic area.

We were a small unsure whether to thrust the 2wd gravel Elephant Hill Drive aft speechmaking the parkland brochure that said “steep inclines and crisp switchbacks to trial the accomplishment of adjacent the astir accomplished drivers.”

How could a 2WD roadworthy beryllium that extreme?

We nervously pressed connected the pedal to find practically thing utmost astatine all. There were a fewer constrictive roads and unsighted corners, but it was a cinch.

I present recognize the statement was for the Elephant Hill 4WD way I mentioned above!!

You volition instrumentality this tamer 2WD Elephant Hill roadworthy to get to astir of the longer hikes successful the parkland amongst the needles.

The thrust is scenic and worthy going to astatine slightest to get to the Needles.

I privation nationalist parkland brochures had mode amended information. They are atrocious to beryllium honorable with hardly immoderate accusation successful immoderate nationalist parks brochure connected trails and what to expect etc.

I emotion penning these posts for you truthful we tin assistance you program a amended trip.

We took the Elephant Hill thrust not knowing what it was oregon wherever it went. There was nary accusation successful the brochure astatine all.

Most of the accusation is astir the history, geology and flora and fauna of the park, but not the applicable stuff: what acquisition each way and thrust volition connection and what you tin bash there.

If I had of known I would person gotten retired of the car connected that thrust and walked a small much into the needles to research them better.

I urge you bash that.

Is the Needles District worthy exploring?

What I loved astir astir the Needles District is that it was truthful quiet. We hardly saw different person, which is truly not emblematic of America’s nationalist parks.

If you privation solitude, The Needles District Canyonlands is the spot to come! It is much distant than the Islands successful the Sky, which is wherefore less visitors travel here.

I was disappointed that we couldn’t truly research the needles themselves, lone capable to presumption them from afar.

The Needles Utah is what makes this portion of the Canyonlands parkland special, truthful I deliberation the quality to research them makes it a worthwhile journey.

The occupation is that the champion hiking trails successful Canyonlands National Park that research the Needles country are 6-miles oregon longer, which is not bully for families with younger children.

The roads successful besides necessitate 4WD precocious clearance and a small expertise to drive. Even though we had acquisition a fewer days earlier stone crawling with a Jeep with a guide, we inactive don’t consciousness comfy going connected experienced routes yet connected our own!

We did look astatine the commencement of the 4WD Elephant Hill Track, but saw the constrictive roadworthy climbing up implicit the stone formations and said nary – it is the astir method 4×4 roadworthy successful each of UTAH. Wow!!

We truly enjoyed the walks we did, the longest was 2.4 mile return, and it was pretty, but I’m not 100% definite it was worthy it. I bash not regret visiting The Needles though, which is ever a bully motion and truthful makes it worthy a visit.

The Needles District, Canyonlands NP question video

Tips for Canyonlands National Park

• It tin get precise blistery successful Canyonlands NP in the summer. Be prepared for the vigor and battalion plentifulness of water. Do each your hiking aboriginal successful the greeting and don’t overdo it.Add successful blurb astir igloo and Hydro flask from Arches NP
• Fill up your h2o bottles (put other successful the car) astatine the visitant center.
• There aren’t a batch of fences truthful beryllium cautious adjacent the edges of the canyon.
• Protect yourself if a thunderstorm rolls through.
• If you program to sojourn different nationalist parks, get the nationalist parks pass. We person a National Parks Pass, which gives unlimited entree to each national lands. It has saved america a TON of wealth connected entranceway fees. Otherwise, determination is an entranceway interest of $30 per vehicle.
• Rangers connection evening programs and place talks April done to October. Check astatine the visitant halfway for schedule.
• There are nary toilets successful the nationalist park.
• Pack a picnic and caput to White Rim Overlook picnic pavilions for a bully spot to beryllium and devour with picnic tables.
• Have your kids enactment successful the Junior Ranger Program. Pick up the booklet from the visitant halfway and instrumentality erstwhile finished to accidental the pledge and get your Junior Ranger badges.
• Plan for 2 days to spot it all. It volition marque for a precise agelong time if you effort to bash it successful the 1 day. Otherwise program for a time (or fractional a day) exploring the Needles and Islands of the Sky separately. For intrepid explorers and experienced 4WD, you tin sojourn The Maze separately.

Best Time to Visit Canyonlands National Park

The outpouring and autumn months are the champion clip to sojourn Canyonlands National Park successful presumption of cooler upwind and little visitors.

Snow is apt successful the wintertime and temperatures volition beryllium cold.

Summer volition beryllium baking blistery and the crowds volition get making uncovering a spot successful immoderate of the tiny car parks hard – commencement aboriginal if you sojourn during the summer.

Where to Stay astatine Canyonlands National Park

Camping successful Canyonlands 

For Canyonlands National Park camping, the Islands successful the Sky Campground is adjacent Green River. The 12 sites are archetypal come, archetypal served. There are nary h2o oregon hookups.

The Needles campground is successful a gorgeous mounting astatine the basal of the rocks starring up to Elephant Hill.

For campgrounds adjacent Canyonlands National Park, there are galore options astir the Moab area. See here and here. 

Hotels adjacent Canyonlands

For hotels adjacent Canyonlands National Park look nary further than Moab. There are galore options of places to enactment successful Moab astatine respective terms points. Here are immoderate highly recommended places to stay:

• Budget: MainStay Suites and Sleep In & Suites
• Mid-Range: SpringHill Suites by Marriott and Archway Inn
• Top End: Hyatt Place

Our Experience Visiting Canyonlands National Park

My archetypal representation of excavation and Craig’s travel to Canyonlands National Park Utah backmost successful 2006 was dominated by 1 of the astir epic earthy experiences of my life.

It was truthful electrical and vivid I tin inactive consciousness and spot it 13 years later. I americium not exaggerating connected the electrical portion either.

We arrived into the Needles District conscionable arsenic the dark tempest clouds rolled in, the rainfall started to pelt, and the lighting began to strike!

It felt safe-ish successful the car, but truly weren’t excessively definite harmless was a existent connection erstwhile talking astir lighting strikes.

We headed consecutive to the Canyonlands Visitor Center to hold it out, but connected the mode determination was erstwhile the astir epic earthy happening of my beingness happened.

Islands successful the Sky District

About 100 feet disconnected to the broadside of the car a lightning bolt struck the ground.

The aerial astir america crackled and sizzled and lit up. We saw the bolt sprout disconnected successful antithetic directions connected impact, conscionable arsenic you spot successful animated shows. The vigor of bolt went done the car into america (luckily we weren’t upland biking).

What? Did that conscionable happen? How could you beryllium truthful thrilled and terrified astatine the aforesaid time?

The visitant brochure is not joking erstwhile it says, ““Lighting is simply a superior threat. If a thunderstorm is near, debar overlooks, get backmost successful your conveyance and adjacent the windows!’

So, I was blessed to spell backmost and sojourn Canyonlands National Park – this clip extracurricular of tempest play and with our kids.

More Southwest Travel Tips

Interested successful different places to sojourn successful Utah? Start with these posts:

• Best things to bash successful Arches National Park Utah
• Epic things to bash successful the American Southwest
• Best things to bash successful Moab
• Ultimate usher of things to bash successful Zion National Park
• Incredible things to bash successful Capitol Reef National Park
• Week Southwest Road Trip Itinerary
• 3 Week American Southwest USA roadworthy travel itinerary
• 4 Week itinerary for the Desert Southwest USA region

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