Canyonlands National Park

Aug 8

Our day trip to Utah’s canyon wonderland

Canyonlands National Park, located in southeastern Utah, is a stunning landscape of deep canyons, towering mesas, and dramatic rock formations sculpted by the Colorado and Green Rivers.

Whether you're seeking solitude, photography opportunities, or a connection with nature, Canyonlands provides an unforgettable experience!

**How much time do you need?**

Canyonlands NP is divided into **four different districts**: Island in the Sky, The Needles, The Maze, and The Rivers. These districts are not linked to one another, so you will need to plan out one day per district, if you would like to see them all.
While the other districts offer more of a backcountry experience, **Island in the Sky** is the most **accessible district**, and where you can access the main view points.

Activities to do in each district?

- Hiking (read about our favorite trails below)
- Stargazing
- Rock Climbing
- Hiking
- Auto Touring
- Camping (with fees)
- Hiking
- Auto tours (only for experienced drivers!)
- Camping (permit required!)
- Guided river trips

Our day trip Itnierary:

Since we only had half a day in this National Park, we wanted to make the most out of our time. As visited in July, the temperatures were climbin up to over 110 degrees. Hence, we started as early as possible, and try to leave before it could get too hot to move.

**Our favorite spots:**

Grand View Point Overlook
White Rim Overlook
Buck Canyon Overlook
Candlestick Tower Viewpoint
Mesa Arch
Shafer Trail Viewpoint
Visitor Center

We began our journey with the Grand View Point, since this is one of the most popular spots, and parking lots are limited. After soaking in these incredible views onto the canyons, we started our 0.9 mile out-and-back hike to the Overlook Point. This hike is rather flat, and the views on each side leaves you in awe! We have not been to the Grand Canyon so far, but seeing the depth of these Canyons, we could only imagine, how amazing it is to stand there one day on our own.

After returning, we took the short drive to the White Rim Overlook trail head. This 0.9 mile out-and-back hike was really special! First, the trail leads through a desertic terrain, until you reach the overlook. Although you might think that it all kind of looks the same, this is not the fact. Every view point offers a different landscape, and you could spend hours on each spot, just to grasp all the different details.

On our way to the Mesa Arch, we stopped at the Buck Canyon Overlook as well as the Candlestick Tower Viewpoint. There are no hikes needed to get to the spots.
The 0.6 mile out-and-back hike to the Mesa Arch was short, but really beautiful. If you’ll ever have the opportunity to come here, you will know why this is such a famous spot! Not only the arch itself is so special, but its position as well. When you’re standing infront of it, it is like a window to another world with the deep canyons in the back.

The Shafer Trail Viewpoint as well as the Visitor Center were the last two halts, before we headed back to Moab.

All in all, it was such a special trip, and we’re definitely planning to go back!