Canyonlands National Park is made up of distinct districts and is just one of many reasons to visit Utah.
It’s so large that it’s impossible to see it all in one day. If you only have a single day or are looking for a place to start your journey, I recommend the Islands in the Sky district. This is the most accessible district and the easiest of the different districts to navigate.
This area of Canyonlands National Park is a great place to access some easy viewpoints and also boasts some more strenuous hikes. We chose this area to explore because of its close location to Moab and ability to easily explore in a day. This is in contrast to some of the other districts located further south and requiring multiple days and additional gear.
This guide will only cover a day trip to the Islands in the Sky District. If you have more time and you are a seasoned hiker make sure to check out the Needles District and the Maze District.
Park History
In the 1960s, people started talking about creating a large park in the southeastern corner of Utah. One big advocator for the park was Bates Wilson, the then superintendent of Arches National Monument. Wilson led several tours of the area for various government officials in an effort to gain support in the creation of another park.
One of the officials who attended these tours was Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall who liked the idea and began lobbying to move the idea forward.
In September 1964, Canyonlands became a national park with 257,640 acres. It was then expanded in 1971 to 337,598. Many still want to see this expanded to an even greater size, however, and what I find surprising, is that the conservative Utahans hate this idea.
As most of the state is conservative, they would rather see the land developed instead of preserved meaning the idea of park expansion has not made it any further than just an idea. But Canyonlands still remains an incredible behemoth of a park, with several districts all boasting their own spectacular geography.
General Park Information
Location
For the Islands in the Sky District: Grand View Point Rd, Moab, UT 84532
It’s a must stop during a road trip to Utah’s Mighty 5 National Parks.
Hours of Operation
The park itself is open year-round 24-hours a day but some of its buildings run on various set hours.
Visitor center: 8 am – 5 pm
Shuttle services
None available.
Park Accessibility
Of all the parks districts, Islands in the Sky is the most accessible. Though the park is fairly undeveloped and quite rugged there are still some accessible areas available, particularly the viewpoints. Islands in the Sky has more overlooks than the other districts, with The Maze District being the least accessible.
For more information, make sure to check out the National Park service page before you go.
Best time to visit the Islands in the Sky District
As with the other national parks in Utah, if you want less crowds make sure to go in the late fall. By mid to late October there are fewer crowds and you will have many of the trails to yourself. Particularly the more challenging of the trails. Peak season is of course through the summer months, particularly late summer, but be aware it can get very hot during this time and is not recommended.
If you are planning to visit the other districts, which tend to be multiday trips, keep in mind that water can be scarce. So, if you are planning your trip for the middle of the summer it can get very hot in the desert conditions of those districts so be sure to pack plenty of water. It’s possible you will come across a small amount of water on the trial so make sure to have a water purifier on hand, like the CrazyCap Water Purifier.
Passes and entrance fees
Private vehicle: $30
No vehicle (per person): $15
If you plan to do more than just the one park I highly recommend getting the American the Beautiful annual pass. If you are planning to visit all 5 of Utah’s National Parks and maybe some others in the country, this pass will pay for itself ($80).
Getting there
The closest town to the Islands in the Sky District of Canyonlands National Park, is Moab. A great outdoors town. There is no airport here, so the best place to fly in is Grand Junction, Colorado and then renting a car or you can fly into the Salt Lake City International Airport and drive the approximately 4 hour drive to the park.
There are buses available that will take you from Grand Junction to Moab, but then you have to get from Moab to Canyonlands. There is no public transportation to Canyonlands. So, you either rent a car at the airport or in Moab, keeping in mind that the airport is probably going to be the cheaper option.
Where to stay
Hotels
I recommend staying in Moab. This way you can visit both Canyonland National Park and Arches National Park. It’s also a really cool and laidback little town. Though I will warn you, the hotel prices are a bit steep and it can be difficult to get a place, so book in advance.
Moab was the only place, during our tour of Utah’s Mighty 5 National Parks that we pre-booked a hotel. Everywhere else we booked the day before or the day of. Not the case in Moab, things sell out quick. We ended up paying around $160 a night at a Motel 6.
There are camping options and hostels in that area but at the time of booking I could not find anything cheaper than what we got.
Camping
There is one campground in the Island in the Sky District. You must make a reservation and fees are $15 a night.
What to eat
The food in Moab is fantastic.
My two biggest recommendations are:
The Love Muffin
A great café that serves huge breakfasts and one of the best places to eat. One of the great things about this place is they will also fix you a lunch to go for your day in the parks or whatever you plan to do that day. The vibe is great and the place is hopping all morning.
The Spoke on Center
This restaurant sits right on the main drag through downtown Moab and is super busy. With its loft style seating and all things mountain biking theme the food is fantastic and the draft beer is cold. They also make their own ice cream.
Top Hikes in the Islands in the Sky District
Easy to Moderate Hikes
Mesa Arch Trail
This is probably the most photographed location in the entire park and therefore one of the busiest with the parking lot filling up quickly during peak season. When you see images from Canyonlands National Park there is always one from this arch.
At only ¼ mile one-way, this is one of the best short hikes and a no-brainer. You have to do this one. Even if you have already been hiking all day, it’s still worth the trip. The easy hike to the arch is nothing special but the view from the arch is.
Upheaval Dome Viewpoint Trail
Another one of the short trails with a stunning view, Upheaval Dome is a 1-mile (one-way) hike up to a view into the crater. This is one of the main attractions of this district. Though it is still unknown the true cause of this crater, most believe it was the result of a meteor.
Difficult Hikes
Syncline Loop Trail
When we arrived at the Islands in the Sky district, we didn’t really have a plan on which hikes we wanted to do. We had an idea but no definite plans. So, stopping into the visitor center we asked a staff member what they recommended.
We told him that we liked difficult trails, that had multiple elevation changes and great viewpoints. He recommended the Syncline Loop Trail, which turned out to be one of the best things we could have done.
This trail circles around Upheaval Dome. It’s an 8-mile loop with 1,200 feet of elevation gain and is rugged. You don’t feel like you are on a prescribed trail, you just have to follow the cairns. The surrounding area has incredible rock formations and you feel like you are truly backcountry.
There are several boulder fields that you have to navigate and some slick rock, intermixed with small forested areas. It was tough and my legs felt a bit like Jell-O at the end but it offered the most diverse landscapes of all the trails of the 5 parks.
This hike is no joke. Come prepared with water. The Moon guidebook says that you can combine this with the Upheaval Dome Viewpoint Trail for a total of 11 miles and it’s recommended to do it over two days. We did it in one, so it’s definitely possible and I don’t personally feel like two days would be needed. Actually, we did all the hikes I mention here in one day. So, if you are an avid hiker doing all 3 of these trails is kind of a no brainer.
Concluding Thoughts
There is a lot to explore in Canyonlands National Park. Way more than just the Islands in the Sky district. The Maze District and Needles District tend to be more for the experienced hiker and requires permits, but the Islands in the Sky district provides the perfect starting point to get a taste of what the park has to offer.
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