Canyonlands National Park

In Canyonlands National Park, you can view thousands of feet down to the Green and Colorado Rivers, or thousands of feet up to red rock pinnacles, cliffs and spires. Whichever direction you look, you're sure to notice the incredible beauty of Utah's Canyonlands National Park. As Utah's largest national park, Canyonlands has been naturally sliced into three distinctive districts: The Island in the Sky, The Needles, and The Maze. See some of the breathtaking views in our Canyonlands photo tour.

Horseshoe Canyon is also managed as part of Canyonlands National Park. It offers some of America's most significant ancient rock art, including the famed "Great Gallery."

Note that the most popular entrance to Canyonlands National Park is located about 35 miles northwest of Moab, Utah, and Moab lodging options provide an excellent home base for travelers seeking to explore Canyonlands.

To the north between the rivers, and serving as an observation tower, The Island in the Sky district allows visitors to view hundreds of miles across Utah terrain. A profusion of red rock spires and fins encompasses the Needles District, lying to the east of the two rivers.

Densely-concentrated arches, rock spires, gardens, canyons, potholes, prehistoric Native American ruins and pictographs surround the area known as The Needles. Lying to the west, in the remotest region of the park (and only accessible via off-road vehicles) visitors find The Maze. The Maze contains a maze-like canyon of tall standing rocks and fins of colorful sandstones.

Activities at Canyonlands

World-renowned for its four-wheel driving, mountain biking, whitewater rafting and hiking, this rugged national park caters to outdoor activities. Canyonlands also offers stargazing, camping, boating and horseback riding. With so much terrain to cover, the best way to experience the park is with a qualified guide. See the Guided Adventures section of the Utah.com for a list of providers.

• Canyonlands-area information (Things to See & Do)
• Mountain Biking
• Off-Road
• Camping
• Hiking
• River Rafting
• Custom ATV/Jeep Trail Maps-Off the Beaten Path Maps

Entrances to Canyonlands

There are two major entrances to Canyonlands National Park. One, found 35 miles northwest of Moab, enters the Island in the Sky district. The other lies 22 miles north of Monticello, and leads to The Needles district.

Visitor Center/Fees for Canyonlands

Two visitor centers provide information to park visitors. They can be found at The Island in the Sky and Needles districts, and are open year-round, with reduced hours in winter. Visitors are encouraged to stop by and learn how to visit the park with minimal impact to the fragile desert environment. Maps, brochures, and books are available for purchase.

• Park entrance fee is $10 per vehicle or $5 per person. Annual individual passes are available, costing $25 per person (good for entrance into Arches, Canyonlands, Hovenweep and Natural Bridges).
• Reservations are required for many of the activities available.
• Permits are required for backcountry camping, off-roading, biking, backpacking, and boating.
• Willow Flat Campground fees are $10 per night. Squaw Flat Campground fees are $15 per night. All sites are first-come, first-served.