Canyonlands National Park: Island in the Sky -

My main goal in Moab was to see the national parks. We visited Arches and ended up having some extra time, so we visited Canyonlands National Park as well.

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Island in the Sky Canyonlands National Park

Jump to What You Need

If you plan on hiking at Canyonlands National Park I recommend a full day at the park. If you’re driving through the park to see the sites then 2-3 hours is sufficient. My husband and I visited in July, so the temperatures were in the high 90’s. Due to the temperatures, we chose to only do one short hike and then just stop at the overlooks.

If you walk across the street from the visitor center there is a ledge with a panoramic view of the canyon. Here you can see all the back dirt roads you can drive on if you wish. These are not roads I would personally want to drive on, however the view is pretty cool.

Shafer Trail Viewpoints

The first pull off scenic view is Shafer Trail.

Mesa Arch

One of the most popular trails in the park, Mesa Arch, is a short .5 mile out and back trail. It takes about 30 minutes. The trail has no shade. Despite being a short trail I recommend bringing water with you.