Canyonlands National Park
- Location
- Utah
- Designation
- National Park
- Entrance fee
- $30 / vehicle
- Track it
- Free in Park'd
Canyonlands is a wilderness of canyons, buttes, and spires carved by the Colorado River and Green River. The park is divided into four distinct districts; no roads join them together. The districts share similar desert ecosystems, but each one provides unique opportunities for adventure and discovery.
Things to do in Canyonlands
Canyonlands offers a range of activities for visitors in Utah:
When to visit & weather
Canyonlands is part of the Colorado Plateau, a "high desert" region that experiences wide temperature fluctuations, sometimes over 40 degrees in a single day. The temperate (and most popular) seasons are spring (April-May) and fall (mid-September-October), when daytime highs average 60 to 80 F and lows average 30 to 50 F. Summer temperatures often exceed 100 F, making strenuous exercise difficult. Winters are cold, with highs averaging 30 to 50 F, and lows averaging 0 to 20 F.
Getting to Canyonlands
Canyonlands National Park is cut into three land districts by the Green and Colorado rivers. Island in the Sky, in the north of the park, is about 40 minutes from Moab, UT via UT 313. The Needles district is in the southeast corner of Canyonlands, about 90 minutes from Moab or an hour from Monticello, UT via UT 211. The Maze district, in the west of the park, is the most remote and challenging; its ranger station is down 46 miles of dirt road from UT 24. All roads in The Maze require high-clearance 4WD.
Track your visit to Canyonlands
Check Canyonlands off your national parks passport, log the trails you hiked and the wildlife you spotted, and see it on your personal map — free on iPhone with Park'd.
Explore more national parks
Planning a bigger trip? Browse the full list of all 63 US national parks, or keep exploring: