Things to Do

Canyonlands rewards those who get out of the car. The viewpoints along Island in the Sky are spectacular and easy to reach, but the real character of the place comes through on foot or in a canyon. A few standouts below.

Guide

Things to Do

01

Horseshoe Canyon

Horseshoe Canyon is one of Canyonlands' most important rock-art areas. The Great Gallery preserves large, detailed Barrier Canyon-style figures, and the remote setting makes …
02

Elephant Canyon / Druid Arch

The Elephant Canyon route to Druid Arch is one of the classic long hikes in the Needles district of Canyonlands. The 11-mile round trip …
03

Chesler Park

Chesler Park is one of the classic hiking goals in the Needles district of Canyonlands. The open grassland sits inside a ring of striped …

Sight
04

Grand View Point Trail

Grand View Point Trail is an easy 2-mile round-trip walk along the end of the Island in the Sky mesa. The route is short, …
05

Mesa Arch

Cliff-edge sandstone arch glowing orange at sunrise

Sight
06

Salt Creek Canyon

Salt Creek Canyon is a long backcountry route in the Needles area of Canyonlands, following a drainage past cottonwood groves, arches, and archaeological sites. …

Sight
07

Syncline Loop

A strenuous Canyonlands loop trail around Upheaval Dome, with washes, desert views, and Green River access.

Sight
08

Green River Overlook

Green River Overlook is one of the classic viewpoints in the Island in the Sky district of Canyonlands National Park. The view looks across …
09

Upheaval Dome Overlook Trail

Upheaval Dome Overlook Trail is a short hike in Canyonlands' Island in the Sky district. The first overlook is about a 1-mile round trip, …
10

Confluence Overlook

Confluence Overlook looks toward the meeting of the Green and Colorado rivers in Canyonlands National Park. The view is remote and hard-earned, with the …
11

Aztec Butte Trail

Aztec Butte Trail is a short but exposed Island in the Sky hike that climbs a slickrock dome to ancestral Puebloan granaries and wide …
12

Grand View Point

Grand View Point is one of the classic overlooks in the Island in the Sky district of Canyonlands National Park. The viewpoint looks across …

Sight
13

Murphy Loop

Murphy Loop is a demanding hike in Canyonlands, crossing mesa top before dropping steeply toward Murphy Hogback and the White Rim country. The reward …
14

Cave Spring Trail

Cave Spring Trail is a short loop in Canyonlands that combines desert walking with history. The route passes a former cowboy line camp and …

Sight
15

Joint Trail

Joint Trail passes through a narrow crack in the rock in the Needles area of Canyonlands. For several hundred meters the route squeezes between …
16

Lower Red Lake Canyon

Lower Red Lake Canyon is a remote canyon route in the Needles area of Canyonlands, with desert scenery, slickrock, and a much quieter feel …
17

Taylor Canyon

Taylor Canyon is a long backcountry route in the Island in the Sky district of Canyonlands. From the Alcove Spring Trailhead, the trail drops …
18

Lathrop Canyon

Lathrop Canyon is a long backcountry route in Canyonlands that drops from the Island in the Sky mesa toward the Colorado River. The round …
19

Chocolate Drops

The Chocolate Drops are a cluster of sandstone buttes in Canyonlands National Park, rising sharply from the surrounding desert. Their dark, isolated shapes make …

Sight
20

Whale Rock Trail

Whale Rock Trail is a short but steep hike near the Upheaval Dome area of Canyonlands National Park. The one-mile round trip climbs slickrock …