Canyonlands National Park
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The National Park is open throughout the year. It is best, however, to avoid the hot summer and visit it in spring or autumn.Situation and topographyThe Canyonlands National Park lies in the dry, hot and relatively remote southeast of Utah. The Colorado River and its tributary the Green River have in the course of some 300 million years carved out of the sandstone of the Colorado Plateau a basin some 45mi/70km across and 2000ft/600m deep with fantastic rock formations, narrow gorges and rugged cliffs.
Official site:
www.nps.gov/cany
Address:
2282 Southwest Resource Boulevard, Moab, UT 84532-8000, United States
Entrance fee in USD:
$5.00, Vehicle plus all occupants $10.00
Useful tips: Entrance permits are good for seven days. Canyonlands is open year-round, 24 hours a day.
Canyonlands National Park Highlights
Needles District
To the is the Needles District, south of the junction of the Green and Colorado Rivers with a profusion of rock pinnacles, buttresses and battlements.The Needles is the most developed area of the Canyonlands National Park, although much of it is only accessible by foot.
Cave Spring
The Cave Spring Trail in Canyonlands National Park begins near the Needles District Visitor Center. It is an easy 0.6mi/1.0km route past interesting vegetation and cattle-ranching ruins. It shows the cowboy life from the early years of the last century.
Slickrock Foot Trail
The Slickrock Foot Trail begins near the Needles Visitor Center in the Canyonlands National Park. The easy round trip route is 3mi/5km long and provides panoramic views with little elevation gain. It is a great hike for families with young children.
Angel Arch Backcountry Trail
The Angel Arch Backcountry Trail is a strenuous hike that is often done as an overnight trip.The trail is a minimum of 10 miles each way, or 13.5 if you are unable to drive the 4WD road to the trailhead.
Chesler Park Trail
The 3.0mi/4.8km Chesler Park Trail in the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park begins at the Elephant Hill Trailhead. The moderately strenuous route takes about 3-4 hours to complete, and leads to a grassy 960-acre meadow.
Confluence Overlook
As does the Maze District, the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park has a trail leading to a view of the place where the Green and Colorado Rivers converge. The moderately difficult route is 5.5mi/8.9km long.
Druid Arch Trail
The Druid Arch Trail is one of the most popular and best day hikes in Canyonlands National Park. The moderately strenuous 5.4mi/8.7km route begins at the Elephant Hill Trailhead and leads to the Druid Arch, often referred to as Utah's Stonehenge.
Lower Red Lake
The Lower Red Lake Trail is a difficult overnight hike in the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park. The route is 9.4mi/15km long, with an elevation change of 1,400ft/427m, and begins at the Elephant Hill Trailhead.
Needles Visitor Center
Like the Island in the Sky, the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park has a Visitor Center that is open all year and features exhibits and information on the park.
Pothole Point Trail
The Pothole Point Trail in the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park is an easy 0.5mi/0.8km walk over the slickrock, where various potholes have formed. The rock was formed by sand that was deposited by wind and the ocean.
Island in the Sky
The plateau to the north of Canyonlands National Park, dissected by numerous streams, is known as the Island in the Sky.There are a number of overlooks some more than 1,000 ft/305m that are accessible from short hiking trails leading from paved roads.
White Rim Road
Island in the Sky is bounded by the White Rim (up to 4,800ft/1,460m), which falls down almost 1,000ft/300m to the valleys of the Green River (Stillwater Canyon) and the Colorado River. There is a very attractive walk on the White Rim Trail, with fine views into the deep valleys of the Green and Colorado Rivers.The White Rim Road is a popular biking route, stretching for 102mi/164km.
Grandview Overlook
From Grandview Point (6,650ft/1,860m) there are spectacular panoramic views.The easy 2.0mi/3.2km trail to the overlook is one of the most popular hikes in the Canyonlands National Park. The trail is well maintained and gains only 170ft/51.8m.
Upheaval Dome
Upheaval Dome is 1,500ft/457m deep and believed to be either a collapsed salt dome or an impact crater from a meteorite. There are excellent views from the Upheaval Dome Overlook Trail which is an 8mi/13km loop. This is one of the more popular trails in the Canyonlands National Park.
Island in the Sky Visitor Center
The Island in the Sky Visitor Center in Canyonlands National Park is open year-round. It is located at the north entrance to the park and has information for visitors and displays of park history.
Mesa Arch Loop Trail
The Mesa Arch Loop Trail is located in the eastern part of the Island in the Sky in Canyonlands National Park. The easy 0.5mi/0.8km hike provides a beautiful view of the La Sal Mountains.
Neck Spring Loop Trail
The 5mi/8km Neck Spring Loop Trail in Canyonlands National Park begins near the Island in the Sky Visitor Center and has great views of the area. The moderately difficult route passes some old cattle ranching ruins.
The Maze
To the west of the Green and Colorado Rivers is the Maze, a landscape of rock faces banded red and yellow, gorges, fissures and spurs of rock.The Maze is in the most remote part of Canyonlands National Park, and one of the most remote areas of the United States. It is accessible only by four-wheel drive vehicles and hiking trails.
Horseshoe Canyon
Horseshoe Canyon has major Native American rock art that dates back 2000 years. The Great Gallery features excellent large figures with delicate designs. The 6.5mi/10.5km round trip hike can take a full day.
Colorado and Green River Overlook Trail
The Colorado and Green River Overlook Trail in the Maze in Canyonlands National Park leads to a view of the confluence of the park's two major rivers. The total hiking distance is 8.9mi/14.3km.
North Trail Canyon
There are excellent views of the Maze from North Trail Canyon which is a full day hike of 12mi/19m. Hikers with transportation can also hike 6mi/9km one way.
Spanish Bottom Trail
The Spanish Bottoms Trail is a steep 2.8mi/4.5km round trip hike that descends to the banks of the Colorado River above the Cataract Canyon.
More Canyonlands National Park Pictures
Map - Canyonlands NP & Glen Canyon
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