Canyonlands National Park

The fourth park on our trip through Utah’s Mighty Five was Canyonlands National Park. This park is close to both Arches National Park and Dead Horse State Park. All three are near Moab, Utah. Consequently, I recommended staying in Moab for several days to fully enjoy the area. In addition, to the parks, other sites like the Birth Scene Petroglyphs are worth visiting. Canyonlands, like Capitol Reef, is a lot less busy than Zion, Bryce Canyon, or Arches. We drove from the Bryce Canyon area to Capitol Reef, which took around four hours. It was another beautiful drive.

Canyonlands is the largest national park in Utah. It has over 337,000 acres of colorful canyons and rivers. It is broken down into districts. We visited the Island in the Sky district, which is closest to Moab. The other districts include the needles, the maze, and the rivers. These districts are not accessible from Island in the Sky and are not close to Moab. We spent one day at the park. If you’re looking to visit all four districts, you will need several days. If you plan on visiting the needles, don’t forget your bear spray, and don’t forget to remove all food from your backpacks.

After visiting the visitor center, we made our way down the canyon. Our first trail and the most famous trail at the Island in the Sky district is the Mesa Arch. After the Mesa Arch trail, we did the Grand View Point trail. I saw a cute little snake. It was only cute because it wasn’t large and it wasn’t that close to me. After the canyon rim, we decided to do the Upheaval Dome trail. Unfortunately, we ended up taking a wrong turn. Consequently, we ended up on the Syncline Loop Trail. Coincidently, this trail is responsible for most park rescues. Thankfully, we realized our mistake before we got too deep into the trail. After a near miss with a crazy trail, we decided to make our way to the AirBnB.

Before you go, here are some things to consider.

• Canyonlands is remote and has spotty cellphone service, so plan accordingly. More precisely, don’t forget to download the trail maps, so you don’t inadvertently end up on a very difficult and dangerous trail.
• The busy season runs from April to Early October. And while Canyonlands isn’t as busy as Zion or Bryce, you’ll want to get there early so you’re not waiting in line to enter the park
• Buy the Interagency America the Beautiful pass. For $80 ($20 for seniors, free for military,) it gives you access to all National Parks.
• We only had one full day at Canyonlands and I would recommend trying to plan at least 2-3 days to see all four districts. Given our limited time, we did not venture beyond the Island in the Sky district.
• The Canyonlands park map is a good resource for planning your visit.
• Watch the weather carefully. The weather will impact your ability to complete certain hikes safely.
• Get the right gear! You’ll need good hiking shoes and socks, ponchos, jackets, walking sticks, hats, sunglasses, a charger for your cell phone, lots of water, and snacks. Additionally, we brought bear spray, sunscreen, and bug spray. Bear spray is an absolute must if you’re visiting the Needles district.
• Prepare to be flexible. Your planned hikes may need to change depending on the weather conditions or rock falls.
• There are no restaurants in the park, so you’ll need to pack a lunch or eat outside the park.

Some of our favorite hikes:

• The Mesa Arch trail is a .6-mile loop trail. It’s easy and accessible to all levels and abilities. Moreover, the payoff is big. The Mesa Arch and the views over the canyon are stunning.
• The Grand View Point trail is a 1.8-mile out-and-back trail that follows the canyon edge giving you panoramic views of the canyon below.
• We attempted the Upheaval Dome trail but ended up on the Syncline Loop trail, which originates at the same point. We were not the only hikers to make this mistake. Make sure you download your trail maps before leaving the visitor center.

Animals you may see while visiting Bryce Canyon (not an exhaustive list):

• Black bears
• Desert Bighorn sheep
• Mule deer
• Cooper’s Hawk
• Ravens
• White-tailed antelope squirrel
• Kangaroo rats
• Beavers
• Great basin rattlesnake
• Yellow-bellied Marmots
• Cougars

The park has a beautiful visitor center in the Island in the Sky district and the Needles district. It also has numerous nice restroom facilities throughout the park. The park doesn’t have a shuttle system, so you can drive up and down the canyon. If you’ve never been to Canyonlands National Park, I’d recommend adding it to your list of places to visit.