Canyonlands National Park
Utah’s largest national park, carved by two rivers into a maze of canyons, mesas and buttes.
Photo: au_ears · CC BY-SA 2.0
Canyonlands guide: Island in the Sky, Mesa Arch at sunrise, Grand View Point, the Shafer Trail, the Needles, Dead Horse Point and how to pair it with Arches.
Canyonlands: what to expect
Canyonlands is Utah’s largest national park, a wilderness of canyons, mesas and buttes where the Green and Colorado rivers meet. The two rivers split it into districts that no road links inside the park: Island in the Sky in the north, the Needles in the southeast and the remote Maze in the west.
Island in the Sky, about 40 minutes from Moab, is the district most visitors see. A paved road runs along a high mesa to viewpoints that drop away hundreds of meters: Mesa Arch, where the rising sun lights the underside of the arch, Grand View Point and the Green River Overlook. Below the rim, the White Rim Road and the switchbacks of the Shafer Trail are an adventure for high-clearance 4x4 vehicles.
The Needles, a 75-minute drive south of Moab, is named for its banded red and white spires and is best explored on foot, on trails such as Chesler Park. The Maze is one of the most remote places in the lower 48 and calls for serious backcountry experience. Just outside Island in the Sky, Dead Horse Point State Park looks down on a deep bend of the Colorado River.
Moab is the base for both Canyonlands and Arches, with hotels, campgrounds, outfitters and rafting trips on the Colorado. Services inside the park are minimal, so bring food and fill the tank in town.
Canyonlands: top things to do
- 1Sunrise at Mesa Arch
- 2Grand View Point Overlook
- 3The Chesler Park trail in the Needles
- 4The view from Dead Horse Point State Park
Canyonlands: best time to visit
April–May and September–October. Summer is hot, and winter can bring snow on the mesa.
Canyonlands: insider tips
- Reach Mesa Arch well before sunrise; the small viewing area fills with photographers.
- Drive the Shafer Trail and the White Rim Road only in a high-clearance 4x4, and check conditions first.
- Plan separate days for Island in the Sky and the Needles: there is no road between them inside the park.
Canyonlands: fees, passes and parking
| What | Price |
|---|---|
| Private vehicle | $30 per vehicle, 7 days |
| Motorcycle | $25 per vehicle, 7 days |
| Per person (on foot or bike) | $15 per person, 7 days |
| Annual pass for this park | $55 per year |
- America the Beautiful pass accepted: $80 a year for US residents, $250 for others (also covers the $100 fee).
- The Southeast Utah Parks annual pass also covers Arches, Natural Bridges and Hovenweep.
- US residents enter free on a few fee-free days.
Checked Oct 26, 2026. Official prices
Gas and fast charging nearby
9 gas stations within 40 km
- 20.8 km Canyonlands Needles Outpost
- 38.9 km Maverik open 24 hours · diesel
- 38.9 km Chevron open 24 hours · diesel
- 38.9 km Maverik
- 39.0 km Texaco
- 39.1 km City Market Fuel diesel
- 39.4 km Tesla Supercharger Fast chargers (Supercharger)
OpenStreetMap data, Oct 28, 2026.
Canyonlands in photos
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