San Juan County, Utah

If you're entering Canyonlands from the north (Island in the Sky side), don't miss this quick hike! This hike is fairly level the entire way and not too long—perfect for kids. Follow Grand View Point Road down towards the middle of the park, then turn left at the sign for the White Rim Overlook. ...

This hike will take your breath away—literally. You will experience stunning views of Canyonlands National Park while literally stepping down the side of a cliff. Once you get to the valley floor, continue on to the smaller cliffs of the White Rim. To get there, follow Grand View Point Road down ...

First and foremost: Don't attempt to climb the arch at night. It's potentially unsafe and the BLM has banned roped activities meaning that you would have to go ropeless. Save this activity for the daytime or avoid it altogether. This is a quick 1.5 mile one-way hike to the arch. The trail is well...

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 ...

Granstaff Campground has 17 campsites available, which are first come, first served. The sites are $15 a night per vehicle. The campground is a little limited and doesn't have running water, so bring your filter or head into town and pick up supplies.During the day, you can easily make your way t...

Many of the campground in Arches National Park are extremely hard to book and almost impossible to get walk-in spots during the peak season in this area. However, the Colorado River near Moab has an abundance of beautiful campsites along its shore. Highway 128 heads northwest out of Moab followin...

Murphy Point, found in the Island In The Sky district of Canyonlands NP, takes hikers on a mesa that ends at an overlook with sweeping vistas over Murphy Basin, the White Rim, and Green River. If you're looking to get away from the tourists, then head to this quiet and often overlooked trail.The ...

With minor changes in elevation, a couple easy scrambles and the opportunity to find your route by cairns, the Neck Spring Trail is the perfect way to get acquainted with Island in the Sky area of Canyonlands National Park.Starting at the Shafer Canyon Overlook parking lot, the Neck Spring trail ...

Castleton Tower is a popular destination for rock climbing when in the Moab area. However, if you are not a rock climbing, you can still enjoy the scenery of the tower and the surrounding desert. Located on BLM land, there are several access trails off the La Sal Loop road. You can't miss the tow...

From the parking lot, the hike is a .6 mile loop (20-30 min hike round trip). It took 10 minutes to get to the Arch. I arrived at 2am and hiked to the Arch to get some Milky Way shots, definitely arrive earlier to shoot the stars. I explored around when I got to the Arch and came up with a bunch ...

This is an easy 0.6 mile loop. The hike takes you out to Mesa Arch, which is one of the most famous structures of Canyonlands National Park. If you're out with your camera, you can get amazing shots of the arch with the rugged canyon as your backdrop. Some of the best photos of the arch are at s...

The Aztec Butte Trail is a two pronged out and back trail for a total of two miles. The trail is single track and easy to follow. After a third of a mile the trail splits. To the left, a trail takes you to the top of a small mesa. There is an informative sign marking the way. On the other side of...

From the Park Avenue Trail parking area, you can walk up towards the lookout and admire the beauty, or you can hike down the steep path towards the canyon. The trail takes you down the wash to Courthouse Towers. You can either hike round trip to Courthouse Towers and back, or have someone drop yo...

Turn right on Highway 313 after Mesa Arch Trailhead and follow the road past Willow Flat Campground to Green River Overlook. Park at the parking lot. Climb over the railing onto the rock edge. Sit and breathe in that desert wind and distant sun. Simple as that.I recommend camping at Willow Flat t...

The Needles District of Canyonlands receives 6 times as many backpackers as its more popular neighbor across the Colorado River, Island in the Sky. The Needles has an excellent trail network that is incredibly diverse, featuring amazing rock features as well as grassy meadows and savannahs.  Whil...