Canyonlands National Park, Utah

About 1.5 hours from Moab on BLM land, Needles Overlook sits on a peninsula of rock 1600 ft. above southern Canyonlands NP. The views from here are just as commanding as Island in the Sky in Canyonlands, but with a lot fewer people due to its isolated location; there's a good chance you'll have ...

The trail weaves away from the highway following cairns. I did the loop counter-clockwise to hit all the viewpoints first. The first part of the trail offers stellar views of the Needles behind you.All the viewpoints are well marked by trail signs. The first viewpoint veers off to the right and t...

Dead Horse Point State Park sits next to Canyonlands National Park with expansive views of the canyons carved by the Colorado River. The park can be accessed year-round and the best views are within feet of the parking lot. To capture the warm light of sunrise on the red rocks, head for the wes...

Squaw Flat campground is an easily-accessed area full of picturesque campsites in Canyonlands National Park, Utah. It is located in the Needles District, which is well known for its colorful spires of Cedar Mesa Sandstone that cover the region. Campsite reservations must be made in advance at rec...

The first draw of this adventure is the roadtrip to the trailhead itself. Set out pre-dawn from Moab, UT and head 77 miles south and west to the Needles District Visitors Centre on Utah 211. En route you'll pass Newspaper Rock, a treasured collection of pictographs well worth the detour if you're...

This world class hiking route circumnavigates Chesler Park by way of open meadows, slots, subterranean alcoves, stairways and slick rock.Begin at the Elephant Hill Trailhead and head south following signage for the Joint Trail / Chesler Park along the way. Once you arrive at Chesler Park turn lef...

Important Note: Druid Arch is located on the eastern side of Canyonlands National Park in the Needles District. It is not located at the main entrance to the park. Stop by the Needles Visitor Center and pick up a map. Your starting point, Elephant Hill Trailhead is then located 6.3 miles west of ...

A large part of the grandeur of Canyonlands National Park is the vast barren vista at Island in the Sky, but no visit to Canyonlands would be complete without the intimate and immersive desert experience that the Needles District offers. Drive two hours southwest of Moab away from cell phone rece...

Trail Description This adventure starts at Squaw Flat Trailhead A in the Needles District of the Canyonlands. Get there early to claim a parking spot, as there are several trails in the area, and you will want to see the colors change in the rock formations as the sun rises in front of you on you...

This is a 5.5 mile loop, if you opt out of the several in/outs to various lookout points, which extend the hike to about 10 miles -- do not opt out! These lookout points get better and better. However, you can skip the only modest part of the trail, where the West and East rims of the trail meet...

As a pet owner, you probably know that bringing your pooch along on your National Park adventures can be a frustrating experience. Most of our Parks do not allow pets on trails, and for several good reasons, but if you bring your dog(s) with you to Moab country, you’ll be happy to know that there...

The Cave Spring Trail within Canyonlands National Park takes visitors past some well preserved pictographs and a cowboy camp complete with many original artifacts, all located in bluff "caves" below the overhanging cliffs of a low mesa.  The path later climbs to the top via a pair of wooden ladde...

If you're visiting Moab for some mountain biking, this is a great place to start. There's nothing too technical and plenty of route options and points to bail out if you're getting tired. Perhaps more importantly, you don't have to work that hard to find some quality riding and classic Moab views...

Wow where to start… White Rim is one of those places where after the first day you will forget you are even on Earth anymore.  The unreal views just don’t stop either.  Every turn opens up to another amazing scene, massive canyon or beautiful vista.  Make sure to take a dip in the Green River if ...

Hamburger Rock is a small BLM campground with 10 sites based around an interesting rock outcropping. Each site can accommodate around 6 campers, 2 tents, and 2 cars. The bathrooms here are very basic, open-top pits, and no other services are offered. Camping fees are only $6/night.

From Moab, the drive to the canyon is approximately 4 hours long and much of it is on sandy or rocky dirt roads so it’s best to drive a 4x4 vehicle with good clearance. Drive past Hans Flat Ranger Station on the west side of Canyonlands National Park and make your way to the trailhead on Deadman’...