Outdoorsy-ish Guide to Canyonlands National Park
- Kati Cooke
- 6 days ago
- 7 min read
When my husband and I first met, we quickly realized that even though we both love the outdoors, we have very different styles of adventure. He preferred Type 2 mountaineering fun, long days spent on the same trail, and deeply remote backpacking and climbing. I prefer meadows, alpine lakes, trail running, biking on rail-to-trails, and long road trips. In the past 5 years, we've combined our two adventure styles and found an "outdoorsy-ish" method of exploring.
We recently took our first non-honeymoon and non-work vacation to Utah (you can read my guide to Salt Lake city here), and created a Canyonlands National Park itinerary to suit both of our wishes.
Read on for my detailed itinerary, or click the button below to skip to the fast facts and quick cheatsheet to Canyonlands!
Canyonlands National Park Logistics
Canyonlands is about 15 hours away from Portland Oregon, by car. You could also fly into SLC, rent a car, and drive 4 hours south, but where's the fun in that? We drove down in 3 days: we spent the first night in Idaho, drove to Salt Lake City and explored for a day, and then drove the final stretch to Canyonlands on the third day. We stayed in Monticello for two nights at the Atomic Blue Motor Inn, which I highly recommend (just don't get our room next to the highway, or you'll be woken up by cars all night).
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but food in Monticello is objectively awful. I highly recommend packing your own, or getting something in Moab (about an hour away). We settled on the highest rated pizza place in town, and I almost had an aneurysm watching the 13-year-old "chef" lick her fingers before putting pepperoni on the pizza. After witnessing that, I ate my dehydrated meals for dinner instead...
On the third night, we stayed in Moab (it was a Sunday night and hotel rates were lower). This worked out perfectly for our quick trip to Arches National Park on our last day.
Canyonlands is divided into four sections: Island in the Sky, The Maze, The Needles, and Horseshoe Canyon. We visited the two more easily accessible parts: Island in the Sky and the Needles. You can find maps of all areas here.
Day One - Island in the Sky
Driving from Monticello to Island in the Sky takes about 90 minutes. You'll drive through Dead Horse Point State Park, which has a lot of mountain biking trails that I wish we had more time to explore. Definitely buy food in Monticello, fill up on gas, and bring drinking water, because the park has limited facilities.
Island in the Sky was our easier, more relaxed day. No big hikes, just scenic drives and overlooks. Here's the itinerary we followed, with plenty of stops at overlooks in between:
Island in the Sky Visitor Center - I have a tradition of buying my parents' magnets from every national park I visit. Their fridge currently has over 30! I love to stop at NPS visitor centers to get my magnets, talk to rangers, and see the exhibits. This one was smaller and more modest, but still had cool information. It is open every day but Christmas, from 8-5 during the summer, and 9-4 in winter.
Mesa Arch - The most photographed and recognizable part of the park! We didn't have the chance to see it at sunrise, but it reflects the sun and makes for amazing photos. Honestly, it is much smaller in person, and difficult to get a good picture because of all the people. You won't be able to get a photo without a crowd in the way, just setting the expectation now! It's a very short hike, just about 0.6 miles roundtrip.
Upheaval Dome - This was my favorite part of the day! Canyonlands' trails are very different than what I'm used to. Cairns (stacked rocks) are used for navigation, because most of the trail is on flat rock. We hiked up to the second overlook, for a 1.5 mile round trip hike with some good hills. The views were incredible, it reminded me of the Mt. St. Helens crater. If you only have time for one hike in Islands in the Sky, stop here!
Day Two - The Needles
We focused on one large hike in The Needles, since the prior day was a lot of driving. Of course, we started with a stop to the visitor center. This is a little closer to Monticello, only an hour drive north. It worked out well for us, since it was on the way up to Moab, where we stayed for our last night.
Newspaper Rock - technically this isn't in the park, but it is a must-see, and you'll drive right past it. My newest obsession is petroglyphs. I took a recent trip to Lava Beds National Monument, saw some ancient petroglyphs, and I'm now fixated on finding more everywhere I visit. Newspaper Rock is probably the best display I've seen, and there's no hike required.
Cave Spring Trail - if you only have a short time in The Needles, this is where you must go! It is a 0.75 mile easy hike leading to a cowboy camp and prehistoric petroglyphs. You will climb two short ladders during the hike, nothing crazy, but it added an element of adventure.
Chesler Park - we debated a lot if we wanted to do the full 11-mile trek, or the shorter version to the viewpoint and back. We decided on the 6-mile shorter hike (AllTrails link here). This was absolutely the right choice, because hiking in the desert is so different than the forest hikes I'm used to. There is no "trail" like we are familiar with, just cairns marking the path. Some parts of the trail have sandy soil cover, but most is on flat rock faces. You'll be climbing over boulders, walking up steps, and going through narrow canyons. It was a moderately cool day when we visited, about 50 degrees, but the sun is boiling and there's no shade. We gained about 1,000 feet over the entire hike. The rock formations on this hike were incredible and it's definitely worth the struggle, but I would only recommend this to experienced hikers who are well prepared.
After we finished our hike, we were wiped out and ready to be done with Canyonlands! On the way back to the hotel, we stopped and watched some rock climbers at the Indian Creek area, by Newspaper Rock. It was nice to have some free entertainment while we decompressed from the day.
Guide to Canyonlands National Park
If you only have a few days to spend in Canyonlands, you're outdoorsy, but not looking to be Bear Grylls out in the desert, here's your guide to Canyonlands National Park, with only the need-to-know information:
Resources
Park Itinerary and Links to More Information
Monticello Recommendations
Atomic Blue Motor Inn - an affordable, nice place to stay (ask for a room that isn't next to the highway)
The Over Bite - the only decent food we had in Monticello! Great breakfast and sandwich options, perfect for packing lunch for a hike
Blue Mountain Foods - I highly recommend getting food from this grocery store and microwaving it in the hotel, or using a camp stove, as Monticello restaurants don't take food safety seriously at all. This was a well stocked grocery store with good options, and was open reasonably late.
A quick note about the park! Dogs are not allowed, as is the norm with national parks. An America the Beautiful pass is required to enter, and rangers do check. A day pass is $30 for US residents (it's worth getting the annual pass for $80). There is no gas in the park, no food, and limited drinking water, so stock up before you drive over.
Island in the Sky
Visitor Center - open 8-5, 7 days a week (limited hours during the offseason). They have bathrooms and water fountains, but no food for purchase.
Mesa Arch - 0.6 mile round trip hike, very little elevation gain. A quick hike to the most photographed feature of the park! Watch for exposed cliffs.
Upheaval Dome - 1.5 miles round trip, 275 feet elevation gain. You can turn around at the first view, or follow the cairns to the second view. An easy hike with great payoff!
The Needles
Newspaper Rock - no hike, just park! An amazing display of petroglyphs on the drive from Moab/Monticello to the park entrance. Just a quick stop, but so worth it.
Cave Spring Trail - if you only have time for one quick hike, go to Cave Spring! It's only 0.80 miles roundtrip, with almost no elevation gain. There are two short ladders to climb, a historic cowboy camp, petroglyphs, and views of rock formations and caves.
Chesler Park - a strenuous hike that will take all day! The road requires 4WD/AWD and good ground clearance, and the hike itself is quite difficult due to the sun exposure and rocky terrain. You'll be climbing boulders and hiking through slot canyons. The views are worth it! You can do the 11-mile loop, or a 6-mile loop (which we did, and I clocked 1,000 feet elevation gain) if you turn around at the viewpoint. Bring enough water!
Thanks for reading! Canyonlands is sometimes overlooked when compared to nearby Arches, but it's still incredible and has less crowds. It was my 29th National Park (perfect for my 29th birthday Utah vacation), and while it might not be the most famous, it was such a fun trip.
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