By Hannah Lehr.
If you solely have time for one exercise whereas visiting Canyonlands National Park, try the Grand Viewpoint Overlook Trail. This 1.8-mile path boasts the most effective view of the canyon under. Located on the fringe of the Island within the Sky mesa, the path follows the rim of the canyon, and you’ll be granted beautiful, panoramic views for many of your hike. It is simple and accessible for all ages, but steep sufficient to get your coronary heart charge up.
Getting There
The Grand Viewpoint Overlook Trail is within the Island of the Sky portion of Canyonlands National Park. This part is about 45 minutes from Moab and is essentially the most visited part of the park attributable to its accessibility. The trailhead can also be fairly straightforward to seek out. From the customer middle, proceed straight for 12 miles till your attain the Grand Viewpoint. This is a dead-end, and the highway turns right into a parking zone. The trailhead is positioned proper subsequent to the viewing platform.
Best Times to Visit
The greatest occasions to go to the park are in the course of the fall and the spring, as temperatures sit at a light 70 levels throughout persistently sunny days. This path tends to be crowded in the course of the spring and fall, although this path is spacious, and there’s a lot of parking on the trailhead. As the path follows the sting of the mesa, there may be loads of area for everyone to benefit from the views.
In the winter, you’ll discover much more seclusion. Temperatures can get right down to 40 levels in the course of the day, so gown accordingly. Canyonlands does get snow, however hardly ever sufficient for the roads to be closed. It is magical to observe the snowfall on the pink rocks and spires alongside the canyon.
The summer season can also be a preferred time to go to Canyonlands, however it’s a dreadfully scorching time. Temperatures can get between 90-100 levels, and there may be little shade from the solar. Be positive to pack extra water than you suppose you want, and gown accordingly to shade your self from the solar.
Main Attractions
This shouldn’t be the kind of hike you need to rush by way of. From the get-go within the parking zone there are implausible, panoramic views of the canyon under. The views solely intensify as you stroll alongside the sting of the mesa. If you aren’t afraid of heights, sitting alongside the sting of the mesa, and letting your ft hold will allow you to notice simply how far down the canyon is.
Also, you should definitely search for wildlife as you hike. It looks like there are lizards underneath each single rock within the park within the summertime. Look out for bald eagles as they soar above the canyon.
At the top of the hike, there’s a massive pile of rocks that folks climb on high of. This is the most effective spot for a snack or a picnic lunch. Here, you’ll be rewarded with 360-degree, countless views of the encircling canyons.
Why This is the “Best Hike in Canyonlands”
I do know, daring assertion. Not solely is that this hike accessible for households, youngsters, and older individuals, however this hike supplies a number of the most beautiful views within the park. It additionally affords so many alternative angles to view the canyon under, and so many locations to sit down and let your ft hold! Although it may get busy, there may be loads of room to seek out some solitude. Also, most individuals hold across the starting of the path and look off the sting. Fewer individuals hike to the overlook, and even fewer climb to the highest of the rock pile. From huge, desert landscapes, to cute little critters, to unimaginable views, this path has all of it.
Things to be Aware Of
Hiking on this dry setting may cause you to dehydrate quicker than you usually would. Be positive to pack extra water than you suppose you’d want and hydrate typically. Water might be discovered on the Island of the Sky customer middle in the course of the summer season.
Hiking on the rocks might be slippery. Be positive to put on respectable high quality mountaineering footwear, and never sandals or crocs. These varieties of footwear will trigger you to slide and slide on rocks, which might be harmful.
Lastly, this path might be troublesome to comply with at occasions. Trails are marked by cairns, or little rock sculptures. The cairns are generally knocked over and might simply be missed. Pay consideration to piles of little rocks on the bottom, as that was most likely a cairn!
Nearby Activities
There’s loads of different actions to take a look at within the space! First off, the remainder of Canyonlands National Park’s Island within the Sky is correct in entrance of you. Some different nice hikes on this a part of the park are Mesa Arch and Upheaval Dome. There are additionally many roadside viewpoints to take a look at as you comply with the highway again to Moab.
You might additionally try the close by Natural Bridges National Monument. This park affords many tenting alternatives, so you’ll be able to spend days mountaineering across the otherworldly sandstone bridges. Visiting this park is a implausible solution to study extra concerning the attention-grabbing geology in Southwestern Utah.
Lastly, Arches National Park is positioned solely half-hour away from Canyonlands. This park options many brief hikes by way of oddly formed red-rock arches. Some of the preferred hikes on this park are Delicate Arch Trail and the Landscape Arch Trail. Keep in thoughts that this park does have a timed-entry service in the course of the spring, summer season, and fall, and a time-stamped reservation is required to enter the park.
Don’t Forget to Bring…
- A ton of water!
- Sunglasses and a hat to guard your head
- A superb, grippy pair of mountaineering footwear
- A trekking pole might be helpful on a number of the jagged rocks
- Sunscreen
My Rating /10
I charge this hike a 9/10, and it’s my favourite hike within the park! This path is brief but candy, and it surrounds you in unimaginable views. The solely two complaints I’ve concerning the path are simply how heavy the visitors might be, and the way the path can get complicated when cairns are knocked over. Overall, this path is one of the simplest ways to see the huge canyons and desert of Utah.
Your ideas on the Grand Viewpoint Overlook Trail?
Have you visited Canyonlands National Park and skilled the Gran Viewpoint Overlook Trail? What have been your impressions? Perhaps you haven’t visited as but however actually need to? Do share your views within the feedback under.