Canyonlands National Park – A Day Trip Planner
Canyonlands National Park is stunning, majestic with some intricate landscape of canyons carved into the Colorado Plateau. Canyonlands has colorful and countless canyons to explore along with fantastically formed buttes and mesas rising high above the Colorado and Green Rivers.
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We had a day to explore the Park during our road trip to Utah. We zeroed in on visiting the Island in the Sky district area of the Park reason being its close accessibility from Moab.
Our exploration of the area started off by stopping at the Island in the Sky Visitor Center. We took some maps and details about the nature trails from a Ranger and began our auto tour (~ 20 miles) from Shafer Canyon Overlook to enjoy the panoramic vistas of the canyons and the La Sal Mountains.
Spectacular Mesa Arch resting on the cliff edge
Mesa Arch Trail
The trailhead is located ~ 6 miles south from the visitor center on the paved scenic road. It is a self-guiding and one of the popular nature trails in the park. It is 0.5 mile round trip trail with a splendid arch at the edge of a cliff. From the arch, you can see the towering peaks of La Sal Mountain range at a distance.
Sunrise is a popular time to photograph the arch. But any time of the day can provide a variety of light and textures on this beautiful and famous arch.
Candle Stick Tower
It is a unique and isolated pinnacle of sandstone surrounded by open plains. It is among one of the many sandstone rock formations that seem to grow out of the ground rising thousands of feet above the surrounding terrain.
Buck Canyon Overlook
The Buck Canyon Overlook sits at 6240 feet of elevation. Take in the panoramic views of the Colorado River Basin with its many canyons and White Rim in the foreground from this overlook.
Bright Orange Cliffs
This overlook is just north of Grand View Point with a pullover for few cars by the road. Looking West, you can see the cliffs and the nearby landscape shining bright orange when the sunlight hits them.
Grand View Point Overlook
Located at the southern end of the district, this is the last overlook point on the paved scenic road. A 2-mile round trip trail from this overlook point is highly recommended and not to be missed. You get to see the Panoramic views of the canyons and the mesa. Also the stunning red and white sandstone spires of Needles are also visible from this overlook.
Green River Overlook
From the Grand View Overlook point, as you head towards the visitor center, you will approach a Y-intersection. Make a left to explore the western part of the district. Green River overlook has all-encompassing views which are the first rate and hands down one of the best viewpoints of the park.
Upheaval Dome
The Upheaval dome trail is 1.8 miles round trip which includes two viewpoints. There are various intriguing rock formations on this hike to enjoy. The trail consists of rocky terrain with an elevation gain of ~100 ft. The trail is pretty well marked and has some amazing views of the craters and rocks around the park. Truly a delight for people interested in geology! You can also extend your adventure by embarking on the Syncline loop trail which is 8.3 miles round trip.
By the time we finished our hike and came back to the trail, the sun was setting on the horizon. The entire scene was so magical and hypnagogic, that it was really hard for us to say goodbye to the park! On our way back to the Park exit, we stopped at Holeman Spring Canyon overlook to marvel at the picturesque canyonlands for one last time!
Sunset colors on a tower with La Sal Mountain in the backdrop
Plan your visit
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Spring and Fall have temperate weather and is the best time to visit the Park.
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Salt Lake City International (SLC) is the closest large commercial airport.
Most Popular Island in the Sky Area of the Park is reached via UT-313.
UT-313 is 20 miles south of I-70 and 6.5 miles north of the entrance to Arches National Park.
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Before your visit, check any of the park alerts here.
NPS website has a trip itinerary to help visitors enjoy the park to the fullest based on the time they have to spend.
There are minimal food and gas services inside the park, so carry all the essentials you can.
Days might be hotter in the park, so carry enough water and sunscreen with you.
If you are planning to spend multiple days in Island in the Sky district of the Park a 4WD/mountain bike ride through the 100 mile White Rim Road is recommended for a person with an adventurous heart. All details for the same can be found here.
We had an amazing time in our short one-day exploration of Canyonlands Island in the Sky district. The vistas and the landscape are way different than some of the other canyon areas that we have been to. The immense vastness of the canyons cannot be described in words and should be experienced in person. Hope you enjoy reading our blog, get inspired and step out. Stay tuned for more!
