Canyonlands National Park Itinerary: 6 Best Things to do in Canyonlands National Park

Canyonlands National Park is the largest national park in Utah and is undeniably beautiful. The park offers beautiful views that allow you to see for miles. This guide will review everything you need to know to create the perfect Canyonlands National Park itinerary, including travel tips, where to stay, the best hikes in Canyonlands National Park, and the best things to do in Canyonlands National Park.

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Travel Tips for Creating a Canyonlands National Park Itinerary

The Four Districts

Canyonlands National Park consists of four districts: Island in the Sky, The Needles, The Maze, and the rivers. Island in the Sky is the one people usually visit because it is the easiest to access. I’ll talk more about this district in this post.

The Needles is 1.5 hours south of Moab and is less visited but very beautiful. If you are looking to do some offroading, this is the place for you! It is known for crazy jeep trails, so make sure to have a high clearance 4x4 if you want to visit here!

The Maze district is the least accessible district in Canyonlands National Park. Because it is so remote and the roads are so difficult to travel on, only a handful of the tourists who visit Canyonlands National Park each year get to experience The Maze. Pretty crazy! If you do decide to explore here, make sure you are prepared and give yourself a few days. I recommend talking to a park ranger and doing your research before heading out here.

Time needed to explore

The time it takes to explore Canyonlands National Park varies depending on which districts you will be visiting. If you are looking to get a few good hikes in and just visit Island in the Sky, I recommend allocating 1-2 days in Canyonlands National Park.

If you are looking to simply drive around and see everything that is easily accessible, you only really need 1 day. If you are looking to add The Needles district, I recommend allocating another day.

If you are looking to explore The Maze… GOOD LUCK. Just kidding! You would need to do more research on how long to be there. The length of your Canyonlands National Park itinerary will depend on which districts you want to visit.

Things to know before you go

As I explained above, Canyonlands National Park has four districts: Island in the Sky, The Needles, The Maze, and the rivers. Your Canyonlands National Park itinerary will depend on what districts you want to visit, so I recommend doing your research on how much time you need to explore!

Tips and Tricks

Similar to Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park can become very crowded which will lead to limited parking inside the park, especially on weekends. The parking lots are relatively big, so usually you can do a loop and find a spot, however, I recommend being in the park early. Getting to the park before 9:00 AM will give you plenty of time to see some of the most popular attractions before it becomes too crowded. That’s what we did, and we saw and hiked everything on our list in one day.

Always remember to leave no trace.

It’s crucial to pack out what you pack in and leave no trash. Some of these spots have trash bins, so you can easily throw your trash away. If they don’t have trash bins, you can throw your trash away at a nearby gas station or convenience store.

Closest Airport to Canyonlands National Park

Canyonlands National Park is located in the southeast corner of Utah. The easiest way to get to Canyonlands National Park is to fly into Salt Lake City International Airport. The Salt Lake City International Airport is only a four-hour drive to the park, making it the closest airport to Canyonlands National Park that has the most flight options. There is a small airport in Moab that is closer, but it is very expensive to fly into, and it does not have many flight options.

I highly recommend renting a car for your drive to Canyonlands National Park because there isn’t a bus service from Salt Lake City to the park. There are a few shuttle options that leave from Moab to visit Canyonlands National Park, but it is much easier to have a car to visit the popular sights.

Best Places to Stay Near Canyonlands National Park

If you decide to spend a night near Canyonlands National Park, I recommend staying in Moab! It’s about 40 minutes from the Island in the Sky park entrance and has plenty of hotels, an endless amount of restaurants and a great grocery store with decent prices, so you are golden if you stay here!

If you have or can rent camping gear or a campervan, I highly recommend it because there are campgrounds close to Canyonlands National Park. If you are interested in renting a campervan, I highly recommend renting from Escape Campervans!

Best Hotels Canyonlands Arches National Park:

Best Campgrounds Near Canyonlands National Park:

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Canyonlands National Park Itinerary: 6 Best Things to Do in Canyonlands National Park

Mesa Arch

Mesa Arch is the most iconic spot and one of the best things to do in Canyonlands National Park. You probably have seen a picture of this arch during sunrise or sunset. To be honest, it’s not impressive midday especially if you already explored Arches National Park, but it is a sight to see during golden hour! I recommend adding Mesa Arch to your Canyonlands National Park itinerary for sunrise or sunset.

Mesa Arch requires an easy, short 0.6-mile roundtrip hike. You will most likely be one of many ants marching to the arch because it is one of the best hikes in Canyonlands National Park, so don’t expect it to be easy to snap a picture of the arch without anyone in it! I recommend seeing Mesa Arch during sunrise or sunset to have fewer crowds and a better view.

Fun fact: We actually didn’t take a picture of Mesa Arch. We went here midday because we had another place in mind for sunset, and there were SO MANY people here.

Shafer Canyon Overlook

One of the first things to do in Canyonlands National Park once in the Island in the Sky district is Shafer Canyon Overlook, which gives you an awesome view of the canyon that Shafer Canyon Road runs through.

The road is an 18-mile dirt road that is considered dangerous and is not for the faint-hearted! If you have the time (and guts) you can drive on the road and get your adrenaline pumping! If you are up for driving on Shafer Canyon Road, I highly recommend allocating a day on your Canyonlands National Park itinerary for it.

If you are like us and didn’t have the time and maybe not the guts, you can experience the beauty of this canyon from the overlook. It’s only a short walk from the parking lot to the viewpoint, so no hiking is required! It is one of the best things to do in Canyonlands National Park!

Green River Overlook

Green River Overlook is an incredible viewpoint that should be on everyone’s Canyonlands National Park itinerary! In my opinion, it offers one of the most beautiful views in the park. Green River Overlook is on one of the only side roads off the main road in Canyonlands National Park and is worth the short side trip!

Once you arrive at Green River Overlook, the viewpoint is only a short walk from the parking lot. It overlooks Green River, which carves through the massive canyon, Orange Cliffs, and White Rim Road. You can even see the Maze District in the distance! Green River Overlook will leave you speechless with its beauty, making it one of the best things to do in Canyonlands National Park.

White Rim Overlook

White Rim Overlook is another beautiful viewpoint and one of the best things to do in Canyonlands National Park. White Rim Overlook is one of the less popular overlooks in the park because although it has views from the parking lot, the viewpoint requires a 2-mile hike, but I promise, it is worth the effort!

From the White Rim Overlook parking lot, follow Gooseberry Trail for 0.1 miles until you reach the White Rim junction. You will want to turn right onto White Rim and follow the trail until you reach White Rim Overlook! If you have 1-2 hours to spare, I highly recommend adding White Rim Overlook to your Canyonlands National Park itinerary!

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Grand View Point

I am saving the BEST for last! There are a few other overlooks along the way to Grand View Point, including Candlestick Tower Overlook, Buck Canyon Overlook, Orange Cliff Overlook, and a side road that brings you to Green River Overlook, Whale Rock, and Upheaval Dome. Those were all beautiful, but Grand View Point was SO INCREDIBLE!

Grand View Point is one of the best things to do in Canyonlands National Park because it offers an incredible view of canyons. You can see for miles, and it is absolutely breathtaking! To get to the best view, it is an easy 2-mile roundtrip hike to the edge of Grand View Point. The short hike is one of the best hikes in Canyonlands National Park!

The parking lot for Grand View Point was packed, however, we had the endpoint of the trail to ourselves. We passed quite a few people on our hike, however, it seemed as if none of them made it to the end. We didn’t mind though because it meant we could take in the beauty in peace! If you haven’t caught that drift yet, we really enjoy the peacefulness. I mean, who doesn’t? I highly recommend adding Grand View Point to your Canyonlands National Park itinerary for sunrise or sunset.

Dead horse Point State Park

A short distance from the Island in the Sky entrance lives a beautiful state park. Dead Horse Point State Park receives a lot of attraction because of its proximity to Canyonlands National Park. Even though it is technically not a part of the national park, I am including it because it is worth having on your Canyonlands National Park itinerary.

Even though it is not big, it has plenty of things to see and a lot of hiking options! Nothing too long or strenuous, but still good options if you are looking to hike a bit!

The best spot in Dead Horse Point State Park, in my opinion, is Dead Horse Point Overlook. The overlook is at the very end of the park and provides an incredible view of the canyon. It is a similar view to Grand View Point in Canyonlands National Park!

There are a few viewpoints at this overlook that are all short and easy walks from the parking lot. This is an AMAZING spot to add to your Canyonlands National Park itinerary for sunset. Even if it gets crowded, you are sure to find a peaceful spot.

What to Pack for a Canyonlands National Park Itinerary

Hiking Boots: If you want comfort and support on your trip, hiking boots are the go to.
Hiking Socks: Having moisture-wicking and comfortable hiking socks are just as important for exploring.
Hiking Backpack: You need something to carry all your food, clothes, and anything else you need while adventuring, so having a supportive hiking backpack is crucial.
Hydration Reservoir/Water Bottles: While hiking or just exploring, it is important to have enough water! I always pack a hydration reservoir.
Jackets: The weather is unpredictable, so I always pack a rain jacket and insulated jacket.
Ten Essentials: The Ten Essentials are crucial for hiking!
Microspikes: If you plan on winter hiking, you will need to bring microspikes.
Snowshoes: Also if you hike in the winter, you may need snowshoes.

Canyonlands National Park is an incredible national park in southern Utah that offers so much to see through its four districts. This guide includes everything you need to know for creating the perfect Canyonlands National Park itinerary, including travel tips, where to stay, what to pack, the best hikes in Canyonlands National Park, and the best things to do in Canyonlands National Park.

I highly recommend visiting Arches National Park since it is only a half-hour away from Canyonlands National Park! You can even visit Arches and Canyonlands in one day!