Canyonlands National Park, located in southeastern Utah near the town of Moab, is the largest national park in Utah, covering a striking landscape of deep canyons, towering mesas, and unique rock formations carved by the Colorado and Green Rivers.
The park is divided into four distinct districts, each with its own character and access:
The most accessible and most visited district, located about 40 minutes from Moab.
It's a broad mesa sitting over 1,000 feet (300 m) above the surrounding terrain, offering spectacular panoramic viewpoints along a paved scenic drive.
Key Features & Hikes:
Mesa Arch: A short, popular trail, especially famous for sunrise photography as it frames the canyon and La Sal Mountains.
Grand View Point: Offers expansive views over the canyons and rock formations.
Upheaval Dome: A mysterious, large geological feature resembling a crater.
White Rim Road: A challenging 100-mile (160 km) unpaved road popular for multi-day mountain biking and four-wheel-drive trips.
Named for the colorful, striped sandstone spires that dominate the landscape.
It is a hiker's heaven with an extensive system of interconnecting trails for day hikes and backpacking, as well as challenging four-wheel-drive roads.
Key Features & Hikes:
Chesler Park Loop/Joint Trail: A popular, longer hike through stunning formations.
Elephant Hill: A challenging 4WD access road.
Roadside Ruin, Cave Spring, Pothole Point: Shorter, interpretive trails.
It is less crowded than Island in the Sky and is accessed via Highway 211, about 1.5 hours from Moab.
The most remote, wild, and least accessible district, reserved for expert wilderness travelers.
It's a rugged labyrinth of deep, winding canyons that requires more time, a greater degree of self-sufficiency, and typically a high-clearance, four-wheel-drive vehicle for access to the trailheads.
There are limited facilities and no potable water sources in this district.
The Colorado and Green Rivers divide the park and offer recreational opportunities.
Flatwater sections upstream of their confluence are ideal for serene float trips by canoe or kayak.
Cataract Canyon: Located downstream of the confluence, it is a world-class stretch of whitewater rapids.
A geographically detached section of the park known for its significant ancient rock art panels, including the famous Great Gallery of life-sized ghostlike figures.
Canyonlands is also recognized as an International Dark Sky Park, offering fantastic stargazing opportunities.