Canyonlands National Park, Utah Holidays

Canyonlands National Park

The park is divided into four districts: the Island in the Sky, the Needles, the Maze, and the combined rivers—the Green and Colorado—which carved two large canyons into the Colorado Plateau. While these areas share a primitive desert atmosphere, each retains its own character. 

Imagine wave after wave of deep canyons, towering mesas, pinnacles, cliffs and spires stretching across 527 square miles. This is Canyonlands National Park, formed by the currents and tributaries of Utah's Green and Colorado rivers. Canyonlands is home to many different types of travel experiences, from sublime solitude in the more remote stretches of the park to moderate hikes through the Needles district to the opportunity to create your own version of one of the West's most photographed landforms, Mesa Arch.

It’s a rugged piñon pine growing out of solid slickrock—and the beautiful blue piñon jay screaming at you from it. It’s the stealthy mountain lion stalking the skittish mule deer or the seldom-seen bobcat getting fat on the desert cottontail. It’s those amazingly hardy desert plants. It’s a whole lot of slickrock, those little potholes in the slickrock that evolve into microhabitats. It’s the amazing light that colours the cliffs red and pink and orange, and it’s the quiet of a region far from the hustle and bustle of our urban areas.

In Canyonlands National Park, opportunities abound for day hiking and backpacking. Mountain bikers can tackle challenging dirt roads that lead through the heart of the park. Canyonlands National Park is also a great place to view incredible scenery from the paved roads that lead to awe-inspiring viewpoints. For those staying overnight, Canyonlands offers some of the most peaceful campgrounds you will ever find.

Canyonlands National Park Tourist Attractions – 

• Dead Horse Point State Park

• Island in the Sky visitor centre

• Mesa Arch

• The Needles

• Canyonlands National Park Needles District