Canyonlands

Overview

Canyonlands National Park is Utah's largest national park, a 337,000-acre maze of canyons, mesas, and buttes carved by the Colorado and Green Rivers into the red rock of the Colorado Plateau. The park is divided into four distinct districts — Island in the Sky, the Needles, the Maze, and the rivers themselves — each offering a radically different experience. Where Arches nearby is compact and approachable, Canyonlands is vast, remote, and demands commitment. Island in the Sky, the most visited district, sits atop a broad mesa 1,000 feet above the surrounding canyon country. The Grand View Point trail ends at a precipice with 360-degree panoramas stretching 100 miles across layer after layer of eroded canyon. Mesa Arch, a small span perched on the mesa's edge, frames sunrise views of the canyon below in what has become one of the most iconic photographs in the American West. The Needles district, reached by a separate entrance, features towering red and white banded rock spires with trails weaving through narrow passages. The Maze district and the river corridors are for serious backcountry travelers. The Maze requires a high-clearance 4WD vehicle, self-sufficiency, and navigation skills — it is considered the most remote and inaccessible district of any park in the lower 48. River trips through Cataract Canyon deliver Class III-IV whitewater through walls of billion-year-old rock.

Things to Do

• Photograph sunrise at Mesa Arch
• Hike to Grand View Point overlook
• Backpack the Chesler Park Loop in the Needles
• Mountain bike the White Rim Trail over 2-3 days
• Raft Cataract Canyon whitewater on the Colorado River
• Drive the Shafer Trail switchbacks with a 4WD
• Explore Horseshoe Canyon's ancient rock art

Wildlife

Keep an eye out for these animals during your visit:

Weather & Best Time to Visit

Hot desert summers above 100°F, pleasant spring and fall in the 60-80°F range, and cold winters with occasional snow. Flash flood risk during July-September monsoons.