Canyonlands National Park Travel Guide
Canyonlands National Park is the largest park in Utah. Despite its size, or maybe because of it, it was significantly less crowded than any of the other Utah parks we visited.
It’s no less beautiful than Zion or Arches, it’s just less well-known and there’s more space for people to spread out in. Check out our travel video of Canyonlands National Park here and keep reading below all the details of what we did.
Canyonlands National Park Quick Stats
Size: 337,598 acres
Location: Eastern Utah
Park Established In: 1964
Best For: Backpacking, hiking, river rafting, mountain biking, ATV driving
WHAT TO DO:
For those of you who want to escape the crowds, this is the perfect park for you! Just keep in mind that the size of the park means that there could be miles and hours of driving time between different spots you want to explore, and you’ll have to plan accordingly.
If you’re exploring without kids and a budget, I’d totally recommending doing this helicopter tour to check out the most remote areas in Canyonlands.
To check off one of the most popular destinations in Canyonlands, head to the Mesa Arch. You will see other people here regardless of when you visit the park, but even compared to some of the arches in Arches National Park, Mesa Arch is worth a visit!
For more ideas, check out this blog I found when planning our trip!
WHAT WE DID:
We decided to hike to Mesa Arch at sunrise, and boy was it worth it. You have to be there at sunrise. Will there be photographers there with their tripods waiting on that perfect shot? Yes. Can you stand beside them and take in the most amazing view anyway? Yes! It’s worth it!
Drive to Grandview Point Overlook
38.3108, -109.8566
Drive to Green River Overlook
38.3783° N, 109.8883° W
Aztec Butte Hike
Trailhead coordinates: 38.39345, -109.88205
Islands in the Sky Visitors center
Off UT 313, approximately 22 miles southwest US 191, Moab, UT 84532
I think it can be tempting to try to do everything in each park, but when you’ve visited literally dozens of national parks, you start to realize that you can’t do a long hike and a rafting trip and a picnic and a… you get it… all in one day at every single park you visit.
Sometimes the best thing you can do is take a long drive through a huge park and take in all the beautiful sights and scenery. And even though we’ve been living on the road for months, there’s still magic in driving through these parks and looking out over steep canyons and marveling at creation.
WHERE TO STAY:
If you want to really get boots on the ground, Canyonlands National Park has a wonderful backcountry camping program, with campsites available for hikers, bikers, and four-wheel-drivers. Throughout most of the park, campers can reserve a space in an “at-large” zone, but in Needles District, there are designated campsites.
WHERE WE STAYED:
We stayed in the nearby Moab Valley Sun RV Resort and came to Canyonlands as a day trip in our truck, leaving the Airstream at the RV park.
WHEN TO GO:
Anytime, just not in the high summer when temps are consistently above 100 degrees and monsoons can come through with little to no warning. Spring and fall both feature temperatures between low 30’s and mid 80’s, while winter is typically between 22 and 52 degrees. If you do visit in the winter, dress in warm layers and enjoy your adventure crowd-free!
WHERE TO EAT:
We pack a great lunch and plenty of snacks. Kids carry their own food and water in their backpacks.
Here’s what we use on every hike.
KID FRIENDLY?
Yes, there are so many benefits to hiking with kids. It’s a great opportunity to teach real life lessons about risk and safety. It also allows them to be in nature, be creative, and to create their own adventure.
There are so many great things to stop and explore, so the kids get to be in charge of what they want to explore. A hike is kind of a kid’s curiosity playground. They get to jump on rocks, play in a puddle, ask tons of questions, etc.
Here’s what I take on every hike.
YES! MY KIDS LOVED THE JR. RANGER PROGRAM:
This is such a great way to get the kids involved and really get excited about the park. You can go on the park website and download all the information and resources and print it beforehand so you can learn about it with your kids before you go. Then you’d turn your booklet into a ranger at the visitors center and receive your Jr. Ranger pins, or you can wait until you get to the National Park (that’s what we do), and receive a beautifully colorful workbook, do the activities while at the National Park, then head back to the visitors center (before they close) and receive the pins.
Either is great! We love the workbook the parks provide, and it means we don’t have to figure out where to get the content printed.
HERE’S WHAT I BOUGHT TO MAKE THIS EVEN MORE FUN FOR THE KIDS
CATCH UP ON ALL OUR AIRSTREAM ADVENTURES HERE.
Here’s a tip!
The visitor’s center, at least when we were there, was nothing to write home about! Save your shopping for the nearby Arches National Park.
Another tip! With so many National Parks in close proximity to one another, buy the national park annual pass. It will save you!
