Is Canyonlands worth visiting? The simple answer is YES, it is! Read this blog post to find out how to organize the perfect itinerary in the most popular district in Canyonlands National Park (Island in the Sky district).

While there’s little doubt that there are some incredible national parks in the United States, I’m not sure the same can be said about the popularity of Canyonlands National Park.

Although this park appears on Utah’s Mighty 5 list (the 5 best national parks in Utah), visiting Canyonlands National Park is not that popular compared to other parks. In fact, of the 5 parks on this famous list, Canyonlands is the least visited, with less than 1 million visitors a year. Not even the park’s proximity to the famous Arches National Park makes it receive more visitors.

And quite honestly, I don’t think visitors to the region know what they’re missing. The landscapes of Canyonlands National Park are beautiful and certainly worth a visit 🥰. Prepare to be amazed.

Canyonlands National Park is divided into four districts and is Utah’s largest national park, with a total area of around 1,300 square kilometres. Each district has unique characteristics and it isn’t possible to drive between the various districts. Although they look close on the map, sometimes driving from one district to another can take up to 6 hours.

The districts of Canyonlands National Park are:

• Island in the Sky: the easiest to visit given its proximity to Arches National Park and the most popular with visitors. An excellent option for those visiting the park for the first time
• The Needles: visit this part of the park for its spiral rock formations
• The Maze: the most remote area of the park, which can only be reached by 4×4
• Green and Colorado Rivers: to take a closer look at the rivers that formed this park’s canyons. Excellent for canoeing or other water sports, such as rafting.

Although there are many places to visit in Canyonlands National Park, this article focuses on what to do on the Island in the Sky district. When I visited the park, I had little time to spare, so I ended up visiting only this district. As well as finding out how to spend one day in Canyonlands National Park (Island in the Sky district), you can also find other useful tips throughout this post, such as:

• Best time to visit Canyonlands National Park
• How long do you need to visit Canyonlands National Park?
• How to get to Canyonlands National Park
• Best places to stay near Canyonlands National Park
• Best hikes in Canyonlands (Island in the Sky)

Canyonlands National Park is located in the southern part of Utah. Since there are four districts in the park and they are not contiguous, the towns closest to each district can vary.

However, two of the most popular districts (The Needles and Island in the Sky) are relatively close to the town of Moab. The distance from Moab to Canyonlands National Park is as follows (distance to Visitor Centre):

• Island in the Sky – 51 km/32 mi (36 minutes)
• The Needles – 119 km/74 mi (1h30)

💡 EXTRA TIP: If you’re visiting Arches National Park, then this park is an excellent addition to your itinerary. From Arches to Canyonlands National Park (Island in the Sky), it’s just a 30-minute drive.

Canyonlands National Park was one of the national parks in the United States that surprised me the most! I didn’t expect it to be so beautiful and its landscapes so majestic.

Even though I only visited the Island in the Sky district for a short time, I can assure you that Canyonlands National Park is well worth a visit, even if you have just a few hours to explore some of its best viewpoints.

Despite being the least visited national park in Utah, Canyonlands National Park still receives some visitors each year. The most popular months are the summer months (June to September), so if you don’t like crowds, it’s best to try to avoid these months. It’s also at the end of summer that flash floods and storms are most frequent in the park.

In terms of the weather, summers tend to be quite hot and winters cold (it often snows). Therefore, the best months to visit Canyonlands National Park are April, May and October. These months offer a good compromise between pleasant temperatures (highs between 15°/59 °F and 26 °C/79 °F and lows between -1°/30 °F and 10 °C/50 °F) and fewer visitors.

For example, I visited in mid-April and didn’t find the park with many visitors and the temperatures were quite pleasant. You can find out more about the weather conditions on the park’s official website.

Given the size of Canyonlands National Park and the location of each of the four districts, it would take several days to get to know the park well. For example, for The Maze district alone, which is the most remote, you should spend, at least, 3 days there.

However, most people only visit the Island in the Sky district, so one to two days is the ideal length to absorb the best things you can visit in this district. In fact, it’s possible to visit it in just one day and get to know some of the best viewpoints in Canyonlands National Park. In one day, you’ll also get to include one of the shorter hiking trails as well.

If you have more time, I also recommend a visit to The Needles district, which is easier to reach and looks incredible.

As with most national parks in the USA, Canyonlands National Park has an entrance fee.

There are various entrance tickets and passes available. For example, entrance fees with a private vehicle are 30 USD (the price is per vehicle, not per person). There is also an annual pass which costs 55 USD.

However, if you wish to visit other national parks in the United States, other options are more worthwhile. One such example is the America the Beautiful annual pass. This pass costs 80 USD per vehicle and is valid for one year for all the national parks in the country. Given the average price of entry to the various parks, you only need to visit 3 national parks in a year to make it worth buying America the Beautiful! More information about the passes is available here.

Any of these tickets or passes can be bought at the entrances to the various national parks. I should warn you, however, that some entrances/parks may only accept card payments. You can also buy your entrance tickets online if you wish to spend less time queuing to enter the park😉. Even though it might reduce the time in the queue, you’ll always have to show the pass the enter the park, which can also take some time during peak season.

If you choose to buy the America the Beautiful annual pass, once you’ve bought it, you’ll need to show your pass and ID when entering each park, as the pass is non-transferable.

The mobile network in Canyonlands National Park is quite limited, so you should be prepared for no internet access. Therefore, I strongly suggest downloading the map of the park area to be available offline on Google Maps.

The mobile network services available vary depending on which part of the park you’re in, but in the Island in the Sky district, the place where you’re most likely to find a mobile network is Island in the Sky Visitor Centre. You can find out more about the mobile coverage here.

Like Arches National Park (which is relatively close), there aren’t any major American cities close to this park. These are the airports near Canyonlands National Park (with the respective journey times by car to the visitor centre in the Island in the Sky district):

• Canyonlands Field (CNY) – 30 minutes
• Grand Junction Regional Airport (GJT) – 1h55
• Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) – 3h55

It’s important to note that the first two airports on the list above are regional airports, so they only have a few internal connections within the country and with reduced frequency. So, it’s probably better to fly out to Salt Lake City International Airport. 

💡 EXTRA TIP: When I visited Canyonlands National Park, I was doing a road trip through other national parks in the United States. There’s no doubt that renting a car was the best option, as it gave me a lot of freedom to prepare my itinerary. I rented a Toyota RAV4 from Avis in Los Angeles and really enjoyed their service. Although I didn’t need this feature for what I visited in Canyonlands National Park, I paid a bit more and decided to rent a high-clearance vehicle, which is an excellent option if you want to drive on some of the dirt roads that exist in the US national parks.

There is only one entrance to the Island in the Sky district, which is located just off UT-313. The Island in the Sky Visitor Centre is located a few minutes from the park’s entrance on Grand View Point Road.

Although the park is open 24 hours a day, the ticket booth at the entrance is not open 24/7. So if you arrive at the park very early or late, there probably won’t be anyone at the entrance. In that case, you’ll have to pay the entrance fee (or show a pass you already have) when you leave the park.

Public transport within the park is non-existent, so the best way to visit the park is by car. The main road in this district is the dead-end Grand View Point Road. The round trip distance of this road (without detours) is around 39 km/24 mi.

There is also another paved road in the park – Upheaval Dome Road. It is along these roads that the park’s most beautiful viewpoints are located. One of the most pleasant experiences in the park was actually driving through Canyonlands National Park because most of the park’s points of interest are located close to the road, making them easy to reach.

For most areas of Island in the Sky, a “normal” vehicle will do, and you won’t need a 4×4. However, there are some roads in the park where you need a high-clearance vehicle. For instance, you’ll definitely need one to drive on the famous White Rim Road, which is a 161 km/100 mi loop dirt road.

Given the proximity of the Island in the Sky district to the city of Moab, this really is the best place to look for accommodation. Please bear in mind that there is no accommodation inside the park.

Moab is a small town with plenty of accommodation options (and restaurants too!) and is located about 38 minutes drive from the Island in the Sky visitor centre.

In my case, I ended up staying in one of the most basic motels in Moab, but despite the simple facilities, I enjoyed the experience. I stayed at Adventure Inn Moab, which had parking available just outside the room and breakfast included. It was fairly basic, but perfect for those just looking for a clean, comfortable place to rest at the end of a full day.

In any case, there are other accommodation options available in Moab (and at quite different price ranges), such as:

Alternatively, you can also use the existing campsite in the Island in the Sky – Willow Flat Campground district. The campsite is available on a first-come, first-served basis and the price per night is 15 USD. More information here.

An important tip when planning a trip to Canyonlands National Park is that there are no restaurants or supermarkets inside the park. To make the most of your time in the park, I suggest bringing some snacks for the day and a picnic for lunch.

Although you’ll be given a map of the park at the entrance, you can access the Island in the Sky district map here. Since mobile coverage is almost non-existent in the park, this map can be very useful for travelling around the park.

Another tip to help you visit Canyonlands National Park is to download a map of the park from Google Maps beforehand, as the mobile network may be limited and there is no Wi-Fi.

Anyway, I’m also sharing with you a map of Canyonlands National Park to help you plan your trip. The map shows where the park’s districts are located and focuses on things to do in Canyonlands National Park, in the Island in the Sky district.

Start your Canyonlands National Park itinerary at one of the most surprising sites on the Island in the Sky district. Mesa Arch is an arch with superb views and one of the most photographed sites in the park.

One of the most popular times of day to photograph the Mesa Arch is during sunrise, as the arch is illuminated by the sun at the bottom, which makes this place even more special. Thus, the beginning of the day is also one of the times when you’ll find this place more crowded.

In my case, I ended up visiting Mesa Arch in the middle of the afternoon and I still loved it! The view from here is a must-see in Canyonlands National Park🥰!

To get to Mesa Arch, you have to hike along a small trail from the car park. It’s 1 km (0.6 mi) long and takes about 30 minutes to visit. Since the car park at Mesa Arch is small, I suggest this is one of the first spots you visit in Canyonlands National Park, even if you decide not to watch the sunrise.

We continue from one spectacular landscape to another and the next point on this itinerary is Grand View Point. It was at this viewpoint that I realised this park’s true dimensions and magnificence!

The viewpoint itself can be visited relatively quickly because it is very easily accessible from the car park.

However, if you have some time available, you can extend your visit and do the Grand View Point Hike. The trail is 2.9 km (1.8 mi) round trip and takes about 1h30 to complete. Although I haven’t tried this trail myself, it offers endless views of the canyons.

💡 EXTRA TIP: Another trail with similar views is the White Rim Overlook, so you can choose between these two. The trail (round trip) is about 2.9 km (1.8 mi) and the recommended hiking time is 1h30. There is limited car parking next to the trail, but it’s less crowded than the Grand View Point Hike. It’s especially beautiful at the end of the day.

Continuing along Grand View Point Road, you’ll see an exit to Buck Canyon Overlook. Although not as majestic as the previous two viewpoints, it’s also worth a visit.

What’s more, access is very quick and easy, so you won’t “waste” much time visiting this viewpoint.

Continuing to head north, turn left to a road that leads to the Green River Overlook. This viewpoint has similar views to Grand View Point, except that here you can see the Green River – one of the rivers that carved the canyons in Canyonlands National Park.

The view is beautiful and access to the viewpoint is, once again, quite simple and practical. From this viewpoint, you can see the Soda Spring Basin, which was formed by the Green River.

💡 EXTRA TIP: On the way between the Buck Canyon Overlook and the Green River Overlook, you can also stop off at the Candlestick Tower Overlook. This is also an easily accessible viewpoint that you can visit quickly.

If you enjoy landscapes that are a bit different from those visible from the viewpoints I’ve mentioned so far, visiting the Upheaval Dome can be a good option. The Upheaval Dome is located on the road next to the Green River Overlook and is a crater possibly created by a meteorite.

The crater is visible from two viewpoints and you have to take a short trail to get there. The trails, although short, are moderately easy since they’re a bit steep. This is the round-trip distance to each of the viewpoints:

• 1st viewpoint – 1 km/0.6 mi (1h)
• 2nd viewpoint – 1.9 km/1.2 mi (1h30)

Another place that should be on any list of Canyonlands National Park’s main attractions is the Shafer Canyon Viewpoint, located right next to the Visitor Centre.

In fact, there are two viewpoints with similar names. One is the Shafer Trail Viewpoint, with privileged views over the sharp bends of Shafer Point Road – which mark the end or start of the White Rim Road. Another is the Shafer Canyon Viewpoint, which has identical views.

💡 EXTRA TIP: There is also a viewpoint at the Visitor Centre, which offers quite some nice views as well.

Is it worth cheating a bit? 😄 Although it’s not part of the park, I’m going to include Dead Horse State Park on the list of what to do in Canyonlands National Park because it’s so close and so beautiful!

Dead Horse State Park is not a national park and is rather small, but it deserves your attention. If you’re returning from Canyonlands in the direction of Moab, this park is only a 10-minute detour.

The main attraction of this park is the Dead Horse Point viewpoint, but I can assure you that it’s worth it, especially if you have the opportunity to visit at sunset.

📝 USEFUL INFORMATION: Since this is a state park, America the Beautiful is not valid at Dead Horse State Park. Admission costs 20 USD. As I arrived at the park at the end of the day, there was no one at the ticket booth and I ended up visiting for free.

Although it’s possible to cover the highlights of the Island in the Sky district in just one day, some other places and activities also deserve attention, if you have more time available to visit this part of Canyonlands National Park. Here are a few suggestions.

The White Rim Road is a dirt road and the most famous in the park. It is a loop drive and has a distance of 161 kilometres (100 mi). This is undoubtedly one of the most spectacular activities on Island in the Sky, but it requires some time to do it. On average, people end up spending 2 to 3 days to drive this loop with a 4×4 vehicle.

It’s a very different way of exploring this park and certainly an unforgettable one. Please note that you need a permit to drive on this road. More information here.

Although not as popular as the White Rim Road, these two dirt roads are fun and a shorter alternative to the White Rim Road. They also have the advantage that you don’t need a permit to drive there, unlike the White Rim Road.

As well as passing through the switchbacks of Shafer Canyon Road, driving here will allow you to pass Dead Horse Point or get closer views of the Colorado River. What’s more, this is an alternative way out of Canyonlands National Park towards Moab.

Another popular spot in Canyonlands National Park is Whale Rock. This is a rock formation that you can climb to get panoramic views of this part of the park.

To get here, you have to walk along a moderately difficult, albeit short, trail. The trail is 1.3 km (0.8 mi) round trip and takes around 1 hour to complete.

Another identical option is Aztec Butte, from where you can also enjoy panoramic views of the region. However, the trail to reach Aztec Butte is a little longer, taking around 1h30 (2.3 km/1.4 mi round trip).

Although I’ve mentioned a few trails to reach certain points of interest in the park, there are many more trails in Island in the Sky (Canyonlands National Park). In addition to the ones I’ve mentioned above, here are some more trails in the park:

• Gooseberry Trail – The round trip is 7.4 kilometres (4.6 mi) and takes between 4 and 6 hours to complete.
• Syncline Loop – 13 km (8.1 mi) round trip, taking between 5 and 7 hours. Very demanding and only recommended for experienced hikers.
• Murphy Loop – a full-day trail of 17.4 km (10.8 mi) round trip; takes between 5 and 7 hours.
• Alcove Spring – 18 km (11.2 mi) round trip, taking between 6 and 7 hours.
• Wilhite Trail – 18.3 km (11.4 mi) round trip on a primitive trail; takes between 6 and 8 hours.
• Lathrop Trail – to Canyon Rim is 8 km (5 mi) round trip, but to White Rim Road is 19 km (11.8 mi).
• Trails that are reached only through the White Rim Road: Gooseneck Overlook (1 km/0,6 mi), Fort Bottom Trail (5.5 km/3.4 mi), Moses and Zeus (2 km/1.3 mi)

There are many options and, without a doubt, for those with more time on their hands, hiking some of these trails is a unique opportunity to walk closer to the canyons, seeing the park from a totally different perspective.

Even if we just focus on the Island in the Sky district, there is so much to see and do in the park that it can be difficult to choose what to visit. So here are some suggestions on how you can organise your Canyonlands National Park itinerary according to the time you have available:

• If you have 2 hours: Mesa Arch, Grand View Point, Green River Overlook
• If you have half day: Mesa Arch, Grand View Point, Buck Canyon Overlook, Green River Overlook, Shafer Canyon Viewpoint, White Rim Overlook Trail
• If you have a full day: everything mentioned in the half-day itinerary plus Aztec Butte, Whale Rock and Upheaval Dome.
• With more days: do the one-day itinerary and the White Rim Road or, alternatively, one of the longer trails

The trails in Canyonlands National Park are very interesting and a lot of fun. However, depending on the weather conditions at the time of your visit, you should consider some aspects. These are some of the park’s official recommendations:

• Protect from the sun with a hat, sunglasses, light clothing and sun cream.
• Ensure the necessary hydration while hiking any trail.
• Make sure you have food when you enter the park as there is nowhere to buy food inside the park
• Plan your visit in advance to avoid going on the trails at the hottest time of the day
• In the colder months, it’s important to be prepared for cold temperatures
• On days with fewer hours of daylight, make sure you return from the trail when there is still light since it gets dark earlier
• If you’re going to walk a trail alone, tell someone you know that you’re doing it.

Finally, don’t forget the Leave No Trace principle, by complying with its 7 principles: prepare your visit in advance, dispose of rubbish in appropriate places, leave everything the same way as you found it, minimise the impact of any campfires, respect wildlife, be respectful to other visitors and comply with the camping rules.

I hope this post has made you want to visit Canyonlands National Park. This is a lesser-known park, but one that certainly deserves a visit! Even if you don’t have much time, half a day or a day in the park is enough to appreciate its beauty and see its highlights.

Disclaimer: this post may contain some affiliate links, which means I get a small commission if you buy something through my links. This doesn’t represent any additional cost to you and you’ll be supporting my work here on the blog😊