Visiting Canyonlands National Park: The Complete Guide for 2024

Set amidst the rugged beauty of southeastern Utah, Canyonlands National Park is a vast wilderness that captivates the soul with its breathtaking landscapes and endless adventures. Divided into four unique districts, each offering its own distinct charm, this park is a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts, photographers, and nature lovers alike. Whether you’re planning to hike the remote trails, embark on a scenic drive, or delve into the park’s rich geological history, we’ll help you make the most of your journey through this extraordinary desert wonderland.

If you are planning a trip to Canyonlands National Park and need some help planning your trip, this is our starter guide for visiting Canyonlands National Park. We often have detailed, in-depth guides to Canyonlands National Park trip planning and will link to these where appropriate to make your trip planning as easy as possible.

The article will discuss all aspects of visiting Canyonlands National Park, including:

• Maps of Canyonlands National Park
• General Information about Canyonlands
• How to Make the Most of Your Visit
• Best Things to do in Canyonlands
• Nearby National Parks

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Articles about Canyonlands National Park

Canyonlands National Park Lodging

• Canyonlands Camping Guide
• Best Salt Lake City RV Rentals

Itineraries for Canyonlands National Park

Downloadable Itineraries for Canyonlands National Park

• Mini 1-Day Canyonlands National Park Itinerary – Island of the Sky
• Mini 1-Day Canyonlands National Park Itinerary – Needles District
• Mini 2-Day Arches and Canyonlands National Parks Itinerary
• Mini 2-Day Canyonlands National Park Itinerary
• Mini 3-Day Arches and Canyonlands National Parks Itinerary
• Mini 7-Day Utah National Park Itinerary
• All Access Pass, including all Current and Future Digital Downloads

Looking for an itinerary specially designed for you? Let National Park Obsessed’s founder design the perfect itineary just for you. Get a Custom National Park Itinerary Here. Or do you just want to chat 1-on-1 with a Natioanl Park planning expert? Book a National Park Travel Consultation.

Canyonlands National Park Activity Guides

• Chesler Park Loop Trail Guide

Road Trips that Include Canyonlands National Park

• Ultimate 7-Day Utah National Park Road Trip

Map of Canyonlands National Park

Click on the Canyonlands Map above to download the official brochure map. If you’d like a PDF copy of this Canyonlands Map click here.

Canyonlands National Park Basics

• Region: Southwest / West Coast
• State: Utah
• Park Size: 337,598 acres (527.50 sq miles) (1366.21 sq km)
• Location: San Juan, Wayne, Garfield, and Grand counties
• Closest Cities: Moab, Utah
• Busy Season: April to October
• Visitation: 800,322 (in 2023)
• Funniest 1-Star Review: I was underwhelmed by this park. It was nothing like the Grand Canyon, with darkish colored stone layers, vs the red rocks almost everywhere in southern Utah and Arizona. Maybe if we had taken a hike, we would have glimpsed more beauty close up.
• Official Website: NPS.gov

How much does Canyonlands National Park Cost?

Canyonlands National Park costs the following:

• 7-day Passenger Vehicle Pass – $30
• 7-day Motorcycle Pass – $25
• 7-day Individual Pass – $7

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When is Canyonlands National Park Open?

Canyonlands National Park is open year-round.

Are dogs allowed in Canyonlands National Park?

Yes, pets are welcome in Canyonlands National Park but are limited to developed areas such as roads, parking areas, picnic areas, and campgrounds. Pets are not allowed on the trails in the park. Please review the Canyonlands Pet Policy before bringing your dog to Canyonlands.

• Pets must be leashed at all times.
• Leashes must be 6 feet (1.8 meters) long or less.
• Pets may not make excessive noise that impacts visitors or wildlife.
• Pet excrement must be immediately collected by the pet handler and disposed of in the nearest trash receptacle.
• Leaving a pet unattended and tied to an object (other than your own parked vehicle) is prohibited. If leaving a pet unattended, ensure the following:
  • The pet is secured at a location where it will not interfere with wildlife or normal travel by other visitors, and
  • The pet is not being left unattended overnight, and
  • The pet is secured such that no resource damage occurs.
• Pets may not be led by a leash from a bicycle or vehicle.
• Pets may not be left unattended in vehicles if it creates a danger to the animal (temperature or conditions are too hot or cold) or if the animal becomes a public nuisance. Cars heat up quickly. When air temperatures exceed 65°F/18°C, a pet in a vehicle may die— even with the windows cracked.

Where are Canyonlands National Park’s visitor centers?

• Island of The Sky Visitor Center – Open Year Round
• Needles Visitor Center – Open Spring through Fall
• Hans Flat Ranger Stations – Open Year Round

Land Acknowledgment

The park, now known as Canyonlands National Park, is on Núu-agha-tʉvʉ-pʉ̱ (Ute) and Pueblos land.

Thank you to the Native Land Digital for making the Indigenous territories accessible to all. They have mapped the known territories to the best of the current knowledge and is a work in progress. If you have additional information on the Indigenous nations boundaries, please let them know.

Native Land Digital is a registered Canadian not-for-profit organization with the goal to creates spaces where non-Indigenous people can be invited and challenged to learn more about the lands they inhabit, the history of those lands, and how to actively be part of a better future going forward together.

How Much Time Should I Spend Visiting Canyonlands National Park?

If you have a couple of hours in Canyonlands National Park, hike Mesa Arch and Grand View Point Overlook.

If you have one day in Canyonlands National Park, enjoy sunrise at Mesa Arch and hike Upheavel Dome loop.

If you have two days in Canyonlands National Park, drive to the Needles Distric and hike Cave Springs Trail and Slickrock Foot Trail.

If you have three or more days in Canyonlands National Park, hike Chesler Park or take a 4×4 tour or a float trip.

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Things to do in Canyonlands National Park

Hiking in Canyonlands National Park

• Upheaval Dome – 1.3 miles (round trip) – 230 ft elevation gain – A short but steep hike to a unique geologic feature known as Upheaval Dome.
• White Rim Overlook Trail – 1.8 miles (round trip) – 160 ft elevation gain – Hike out to an east-facing overlook with views of the Colorado River, Monument Basin, and La Sal Mountains.
• Aztec Butte Trail – 1.7 miles (round trip) – 260 ft elevation gain -This trail has spectacular views and passes by two ancestral Puebloan structures. Some scrambling is required for this trail.
• Chesler Park Viewpoint – 5.4 mile (round trip)-1,150 ft elevation gain – This trail provides great panorama views of the Needles formations.

Best Things to Do in Canyonlands National Park

• Sunrise at Mesa Arch
• Cave Spring Trail
• Junior Ranger Badge
• Dead Horse Point Overlook
• Needles Overlook (outside park)
• McKinley Station Trail

Best Things to See in Canyonlands National Park

• Green River Overlook
• Shafer Canyon Overlook
• Pothole Point
• Roadside Ruin
• Wooden Shoe Arch
• Needles Overlook (outside park)

Best Guided Tours of Canyonlands National Park

Canyonlands National Park Wildlife

• Canyon Wren
• Mule Deer
• Desert Bighorn Sheep
• Kangaroo Rat
• Gopher Snake
• Common Raven

Where to stamp your National Parks Passport Book in Canyonlands National Park?

The National Park Passport Book is the BEST and cheapest National Park souvenir. Every National Park Obsessed person should have one of these books.

IMPORTANT: Do NOT stamp your government-issued passport.

There are eight official stamps for Canyonlands National Park. Here is the list of National Park Passport Stamps you can get in Canyonlands National Park:

1. Island District, UT
2. Maze District, UT
3. Moab, UT
4. Moab, Utah
5. Moab, Utah (Letters Capitalized)
6. Needles District, UT
7. NPS Centennial
8. Passport 25th Anniversary

Bonus Stamps

• Junior Ranger

Canyonlands National Park Passport Stamp Locations

Here are all the locations to find the Canyonlands National Park Passport Stamps. Not every stamp is available at every location.

• Hans Flat Ranger Station
• Headquarters
• Island in the Sky Visitor Center
• Needles Visitor Center
• NHT Moab Information Center

National Parks Near Canyonlands National Park

National Park Service units within a 4 hours drive

• Arches National Park
• Aztec Ruins National Monument
• Canyon De Chelly National Monument
• Capitol Reef National Park
• Dinosaur National Monument
• Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
• Hovenweep National Monument
• Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site
• Natural Bridges National Monument
• Navajo National Monument
• Timpanogos Cave National Monument

National Park Service units within an 8 hours drive

• Bandelier National Monument
• Bryce Canyon National Park
• Capulin Volcano National Monument
• Casa Grande Ruins National Monument
• Cedar Breaks National Monument
• Chaco Culture National Historical Park
• City of Rocks National Reserve
• Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve
• El Malpais National Monument
• El Morro National Monument
• Fort Union National Monument
• Fossil Butte National Monument
• Golden Spike National Historical Park
• Grand Canyon National Park
• Great Basin National Park
• Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument
• Hohokam Pima National Monument
• Lake Mead National Recreation Area
• Manhattan Project National Historical Park
• Minidoka National Historic Site
• Montezuma Castle National Monument
• Pecos National Historical Park
• Petrified Forest National Park
• Petroglyph National Monument
• Pipe Spring National Monument
• Rainbow Bridge National Monument
• Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument
• Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument
• Tonto National Monument
• Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument
• Tuzigoot National Monument
• Valles Caldera National Preserve
• Walnut Canyon National Monument
• Wupatki National Monument
• Zion National Park

Final Thoughts on Canyonlands National Park

Do you have any questions about Canyonlands National Park, let us know in the comments below or need help planning your National Park trips. Let me know in the comments or join me in my National Park Trip Planning Community!

Pin for Later: The Complete Guide to Visiting Canyonlands National Park in 2024