Canyonlands National Park
Canyonlands is the wild, sprawling heart of Utah’s red-rock country, a vast maze of canyons, mesas and spires carved by the Colorado and Green rivers into four distinct districts. From the sweeping overlooks of Island in the Sky to the sculpted spires of The Needles and the trackless Maze, it offers everything from an easy scenic drive to some of the most remote wilderness in the Lower 48.
Fast facts
- Established: 1964
- Size: about 337,000 acres (1,360 km²) of canyon country
- Four districts: Island in the Sky, The Needles, The Maze, and the rivers
- Rivers: the Colorado and Green meet within the park
- Gateway: Moab, Utah
- Managed by: National Park Service
The landscape
The two rivers have cut the high desert into a layered labyrinth of canyons, buttes, mesas and needles, with the flat-topped Island in the Sky mesa towering above the confluence. Each district has its own character, grand overlooks, colorful spires, or trackless slickrock, and the whole is a stark, arid world of juniper, cactus and slickrock beneath enormous skies.
Best time to go
Spring and fall bring the best hiking weather. Summer is dangerously hot in the exposed desert, demanding early starts and heavy water; monsoon storms can trigger flash floods. Winter is cold and quiet, with occasional snow, and can be a fine, solitary time for the road-accessible overlooks.
Getting there and around
The districts are reached separately from Moab and are not connected within the park: Island in the Sky is the most accessible, The Needles is a longer drive, and The Maze is famously remote and rugged. A vehicle, often high-clearance 4WD for the backcountry, is essential, and river districts require a boat.
Things to do
At Island in the Sky, take in Grand View Point and Mesa Arch and hike to overlooks; in The Needles, explore trails among the spires and the Chesler Park loop. Four-wheel-drive routes like the White Rim, multi-day backpacking in The Maze, and rafting the Colorado through Cataract Canyon reward the well-prepared and self-sufficient.
Top 10 things to do in Canyonlands National Park →
Staying safe
Heat, dehydration and exposure are the central dangers. Carry far more water than seems necessary, hike early, and turn back before you are spent. Drop-offs are sheer and often unfenced, flash floods fill canyons in storms, and the backcountry is genuinely remote, so carry a satellite messenger and be ready to self-rescue.
Know before you go
A park pass is required, and backcountry camping, 4WD routes and river trips all need permits that can be competitive. Plan well ahead. Carry all your water. This page is a general overview, not a live conditions report; always confirm current conditions, road status and permits with the National Park Service before your trip.
- Coordinates
- 38.2340, -109.9495
- Magnetic declination
- 9.6° E (2026)
Set this declination on your compass, then align it to the map's north lines; it is the angle between true north and magnetic north, refreshed each year.
How declination works, and how to navigate with a map and compass
A spread of the park’s main places shows straight away, and the rest appear as you zoom in. You can also search above, or pick any place from the lists below, and the map will go to it. Places in bold, marked , have a short description.
Getting there 4
Park entrances
Visitor centres
On the trail 76
Trailheads
Routes
Campgrounds
Picnic site
Sights 85
Viewpoints
Waterfall
Lake
Heritage sites
Points of interest
Peaks 13
Map data comes from third-party sources and may be incomplete or out of date, so carry a current official map (terms).
Looking for one of these closer to home?Destinations near me by trip type →
- Best seasons
- Spring, Fall
- Difficulty
- Easy to strenuous
- Access / trailheads
- Near Moab, Utah, in four separate districts: Island in the Sky (US-191/Hwy 313), The Needles (Hwy 211), the remote Maze, and the rivers themselves. Districts are not connected.
- Water
- Carry all your water; reliable sources are extremely scarce.
- Cell / satellite coverage
- Little to no cell service. Carry a map and a satellite messenger.
- Nearest ranger / SAR / emergency
- Contact park rangers; life-threatening emergencies: 911 (help may be distant).
- Permits & regulations
- Per-vehicle entry fee (America the Beautiful pass accepted); backcountry camping, four-wheel-drive routes, and river trips all require permits.
- Leave No Trace
- Stay on roads and slickrock, never crush cryptobiotic soil, pack out all waste (including human waste in the backcountry), and follow Leave No Trace.
January
- Below-freezing nights
February
- Below-freezing nights
March
April
May
June
July
- Hot days
August
September
October This month
November
December
- Below-freezing nights
What to bring depends on your trip: how long you’re out, where you sleep, and how far you go from the road. The planner builds the list for yours.
Plan a trip here →Averages for 1991–2020 from NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, measured at the Canyonlands-the Neck station, 10 miles (16 km)16 km (10 miles) away at 5,871 feet (1,789 m)1,789 m (5,871 feet). Higher trails run colder, by about 3.5°F for every 1,000 ft (2°C per 300 m)2°C for every 300 m (3.5°F per 1,000 ft) of climb. Daylight runs from sunrise to sunset on the 15th, on the park’s own clock, for a level horizon. Valleys and slopes facing away from the sun are in shade earlier.
Nearby parks
-
Dead Horse Point State Park
A mesa-top overlook 2,000 feet (600 m) above a gooseneck of the Colorado River, with rim trails, bike trails and some of Utah's darkest skies.
-
Bears Ears National Monument
Cliff dwellings, Grand Gulch backpacking and Indian Creek climbing in southeastern Utah’s canyon country.
-
Arches National Park
More than 2,000 natural stone arches in red-rock desert just north of Moab, from Delicate Arch to the maze of the Fiery Furnace.
-
Natural Bridges National Monument
Three giant stone bridges in southeastern Utah’s canyons, with a loop drive, short steep trails and the first International Dark Sky Park.
Straight-line distance between park centres. Road distance is usually longer.
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