Canyonlands National Park boasts probably the most convoluted landscapes on Earth, with many locations solely visited by bighorn sheep and birds. The park is positioned close to Moab in southeast Utah, on the confluence of the Green and Colorado Rivers. This is certainly a land of canyons, with numerous tributaries flowing into these two main rivers. Most of the 12 months, the vast majority of these canyons are bone dry, however through the late summer time monsoon season, highly effective thunderstorms unleash flash floods throughout the area.
Visiting Canyonlands is like visiting one other planet. Nowhere else on Earth rivals this intricate panorama of geologic spectacles, wonders, and oddities. Despite the rugged terrain, folks have been drawn to this area for 1000’s of years and the park protects many sacred Indigenous websites together with rock artwork panels and historical dwellings.
Canyonlands can be the least visited out of Utah’s Big Five National Parks and it’s undoubtedly doable to seek out seldomly seen and eerily quiet corners of the backcountry on this spectacular however harsh panorama.
Ready to discover this unimaginable park? Here are 8 of essentially the most scenic Canyonlands hikes to go to the park’s colourful layer cake of canyons, cliffs, and spires.
Important Reminder: As it goes in all the locations we share, please follow good path etiquette and keep in mind to Leave No Trace. This means packing out your entire rubbish (together with bathroom paper), being respectful to others on busy trails, and following the established guidelines.
Canyonlands National Park Layout
Canyonlands is split into 4 districts: Island within the Sky, the Maze, the Needles, and Horseshoe Canyon, plus the Rivers district for paddling. Starting within the northern part of the park, the Island within the Sky protects the high-elevation mesa that sits between the Colorado and Green Rivers. Island within the Sky is the preferred part for drive-thru visits and brief hikes, as there are various spectacular viewpoints a brief stroll from a paved street. If you need to discover just a little farther on foot, there are additionally a number of unimaginable day hikes on this district.
The Maze and Needles districts misinform the south of the Island within the Sky, with the spire-studded Needles on the east aspect of the Colorado and the mysterious Maze on the west aspect of the Green and Colorado Rivers. These areas of the park are more durable to entry, with the Maze requiring a burly 4WD automobile and vital route discovering. The Maze and Needles districts are hottest for longer day hikes and backpacking journeys, as many areas require lengthy, twisting approaches via deep canyons.
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Horseshoe Canyon (to not be confused with Horseshoe Bend in Arizona) is a distant, geographically separate district positioned northwest of the remainder of the park that was put aside to guard sacred Indigenous rock artwork websites. This space will be accessed from the north, close to Green River, or from the west, close to Hanksville, down lengthy washboard (however two-wheel drive accessible) roads, a minimum of when dry. One of essentially the most putting pictograph panels in North America will be seen right here on an extended day hike.
Park guests who’re new to abandon mountain climbing ought to begin within the Island within the Sky district, which has a number of brief and scenic trails with sweeping views. Hiking within the Needles or the Maze districts of Canyonlands just isn’t for the inexperienced. The extra well-liked park trails are normally nicely marked however the extra distant areas, together with the aptly named Maze, require superior navigational expertise. We embody hikes from each district beneath.
Best Time of Year To Hike Canyonlands National Park
Canyonlands National Park, like most deserts within the Southwest, is finest visited within the spring or fall, when temperatures are milder.
Certain areas of the park will be accessed in winter, a uniquely lovely time to go to as trails and overlooks are a lot quieter and snow can add a wide ranging new dimension to the crimson rock canyons.
Summers are dangerously scorching with no shade and little water. In late summer time, flash floods commonly scour the panorama. If you do go to from June to August, plan to hike very early within the morning or late within the night to keep away from the lethal warmth of the day and all the time keep watch over the climate.
How To Get To Canyonlands National Park
Canyonlands National Park is among the most distant areas within the decrease 48 states. Getting there isn’t straightforward however the rewards are undoubtedly definitely worth the problem!
The closest airport is the Canyonlands Field Airport, positioned simply north of Moab, a 30 minute drive to the Island within the Sky Visitor Center or a 2.5 hour drive to the Needles district or a 3.5 hour drive to Horseshoe Bend, however this can be a very small airport with restricted each day flights which are sometimes very costly.
We advocate flying into Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC), a 4 hour drive to Moab and Island within the Sky, a 5.5 hour drive to the Needles District, or a 6.5 drive to Horseshoe Bend. Grand Junction Regional Airport (GJT) can be an possibility, only one.5 hours from Moab or just a little over 4 hours to Island within the Sky district, though smaller than SLC.
Moab is the closest city to all districts of Canyonlands (solely 40 minutes from the Island within the Sky Visitor Center!), with numerous lodging, restaurant, and out of doors gear store choices. We advocate staying in Moab throughout your go to to Canyonlands.
Best Hikes in Canyonlands National Park
1. Grand View Point
- District: Island within the Sky
- Distance: 1.8 miles out and again
- Elevation Gain: 160 ft
- Time: 1 hour
- Difficulty: Easy
- Trailhead begin: Grand View Point Overlook Trailhead
With a reputation like Grand View Point, you realize you’re in for a deal with. This straightforward 1.8 mile lengthy out and again path follows the White Rim to the tip of Grand View Point for mind-boggling views south into the guts of Canyonlands, together with the confluence of the Green and Colorado Rivers.
This hike is a good place to wrap your head across the lay of the panorama, as lots of the canyons south of the rim are completely inaccessible to people. You may see just a few tiny Jeeps down beneath, making their method slowly alongside one of many park’s legendary 4WD roads. If doable, plan to hike this path at sundown as a result of watching the altering gentle and colours stream over the Canyonlands is actually a magical expertise.
2. Mesa Arch Loop
- District: Island within the Sky
- Distance: 0.7 miles
- Elevation Gain: 88 ft
- Time: ½ hour
- Difficulty: Easy
- Trailhead begin: Mesa Arch Loop Parking
Visit one of many planet’s most photographed arches on this straightforward 0.7 mile loop within the Island within the Sky district. Mesa Arch is a pothole arch that fashioned over tens of 1000’s of years as rainwater collected in a pure despair and regularly wore via the rock, forming a 27-foot huge opening on the jap fringe of the mesa.
Mesa Arch is famously photographed at dawn when the morning rays strike the underside of the arch, which frames Canyonlands and the La Sal Mountains in an iconic desert southwest scene. Don’t anticipate solitude at dawn. The stroll to the arch is gorgeous any time of day, in all seasons, though in winter it might be icy in spots.
3. Syncline Loop (round Upheaval Dome)
- District: Island within the Sky
- Distance: 8.6 mile loop
- Elevation Gain: 1,630 ft
- Time: 5 hours
- Difficulty: Hard
- Trailhead begin: Upheaval Dome Trailhead
This is one among Island within the Sky’s more difficult day hikes however the terrain it traverses might actually be out of this world. The path circumnavigates Upheaval Dome, a curious 6-mile huge crater-like formation that may very well be an uplifted salt dome, or a meteor influence crater; geologists have debated its origin for many years.
Either method, the hike across the formation of colourful, concentric rings is stunningly lovely. The park service recommends mountain climbing across the loop clockwise for extra gradual uphill climbs. Keep in thoughts that some components of the hike require third class scrambling so this might not be an ideal hike for inexperienced hikers or children.
Tip: If the loop is an excessive amount of to deal with, you may as well view Upheaval Dome from the Crater View Trail, a brief however steep 1.6 mile hike.
4. Chesler Park Loop
- District: Needles
- Distance: 10.4 mile lollipop loop
- Elevation Gain: 1,820 ft
- Time: 5 hours
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Trailhead begin: Elephant Hill (requires 4WD) various 2WD trailhead at Needles Campground (makes for a 12 mile spherical journey hike)
Scratch the floor of the Needles District on this 10.4 mile lollipop loop. The Chesler Park Loop path leads throughout slickrock benches, sandy washes, and thru a deep, slender rock chasm to Chesler Park, an attractive meadow studded with crimson and white banded rock pinnacles.
Sculpted by wind and water out of Cedar Mesa sandstone, these spires are what give the Needles district its evocative identify. Chesler Park can be an ideal first cease or basecamp for multi-day backpacks via the Needles to go to seldom-seen options like Druid Arch and the Devil’s Pocket.
5. The Slickrock Foot Trail
- District: Needles
- Distance: 2.4 mile lollipop loop
- Elevation Gain: 137 ft
- Time: 1.5 hour
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Trailhead begin: Big Spring Canyon Overlook
In slickrock nation, trails usually undulate throughout naked rocks that don’t maintain a lot signal of a path. For the uninitiated, this may be unnerving because it’s usually inconceivable to inform in the event you’re truly on the path or simply wandering within the desert. Slickrock trails are normally marked by cairns–brief stacks of rocks that time the way in which. From one cairn, it’s best to be capable of spot the following one and by shifting between the rock stacks, you keep on path.
If you’re new to this type of navigation, the Slickrock Foot Trail is an effective place to follow. Even on a comparatively well-cairned path like this one, it’s essential to convey a paper map and orient your self ceaselessly to “handrails” within the panorama, equivalent to a distant ridge or mountain vary so that you don’t get circled. Before you allow Moab, after which cell service is spotty at finest, you must also plan to obtain the path in your favourite mountain climbing app.
6. The Confluence Overlook
- District: Needles
- Distance: 10 miles out and again
- Elevation Gain: 1,371 ft
- Time: 6 hours
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Trailhead begin: Big Spring Canyon Overlook
The mighty Green and Colorado Rivers meet within the coronary heart of Canyonlands National Park and this confluence is among the most vital river conferences within the southwest. After flowing collectively, the 2 rivers spill into Cataract Canyon, a legendary part of white water that boasts Utah’s largest rapids.
You can glimpse the confluence of the Green and Colorado from Grand View Point (see hike #1) however for a better look, head out on the Confluence Overlook path, which leaves from the tip of the one paved street into the Needles District. The route traverses slick rock benches and canyons earlier than ending abruptly at a clifftop overlook, simply east of the confluence. The overlook is 1,000 ft above the rivers. You can’t get all the way down to the water right here so you should definitely pack loads of ingesting water in your mountain climbing daypack.
7. Horseshoe Canyon to the Great Gallery
- District: Horseshoe Canyon
- Distance: 7 miles out and again
- Elevation Gain: 1,387 ft
- Time: 4 hours
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Trailhead begin: West Rim Trailhead
This path rapidly drops off the sting of Horseshoe Canyon right into a sandy-bottomed wash lined with towering sandstone partitions and shaded by large cottonwood timber. After 3.5 miles you’ll arrive on the Great Gallery, the world’s best assortment of Barrier Canyon-style work that includes bigger than life-sized humanoid figures that hover excessive above the canyon ground.
Thought to be between 7,000 and a pair of,000 years outdated, the work had been created by nomadic hunter gatherers as they migrated all through the Canyonlands area on seasonal journeys. This hike will be highly regarded in the summertime months and is finest visited in spring or fall.
8. The Maze
- District: The Maze
- Distance: Varies
- Elevation Gain: Varies
- Time: Several days
- Difficulty: Hard
- Trailhead begin: The Maze Overlook
There are not any day hike choices into the Maze. Accessing this space west of the Green and Colorado Rivers is a severe multi-day endeavor, requiring a lot planning and preparation, plus you’ll want a 4-wheel drive automobile to get inside mountain climbing distance of this advanced of canyons.
The Maze Overlook at Brimhall Point is 5.5 hours from Moab is an effective place to begin. From right here you possibly can descend into the Maze however you finest be ready for unmarked routes that weave out and in of dead-end canyons, class 3 and 4 scrambles, and no water sources for miles round.
Canyonlands Hiking Tips
Canyonlands National Park is among the most rugged landscapes on Earth. Visitors ought to be ready for distant desert journey, whether or not they’re touring by automotive or on foot. Here are some tops In order to remain protected whereas mountain climbing in Canyonlands:
- The park entrance charge is $30 per automotive. If you propose to go to a number of parks in 1 12 months, spend money on an America the Beautiful National Park Pass to avoid wasting on charges.
- Dogs aren’t allowed on any mountain climbing trails in Canyonlands National Park
- Always maintain a number of gallons of ingesting water in your automotive, in addition to emergency meals (right here’s our favourite mountain climbing snacks!) and provides in case you change into stranded. Backcountry water sources are few and much between and infrequently essential for wildlife.
- Most of the park’s roads require 4-wheel drive, aside from the restricted paved roads within the Island within the Sky and the Needles districts.
- Cell service is non-existent in a lot of the park. Be positive to obtain offline maps utilizing your favourite mountain climbing app.
- Hiking within the desert is normally uncovered, so put on the correct desert mountain climbing garments and put on ample solar safety.
- The park is finest visited within the spring or fall or throughout sunny climate home windows through the winter. In summer time, Canyonlands turns right into a fiery furnace and mountain climbing just isn’t really useful through the day.
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