Canyonlands National Park: Island in the Sky -

If you’re spending a few days in Moab, I highly recommend making some time for Canyonlands National Park. Canyonlands is more rugged and quieter than Arches National Park. It’s worth visiting for it’s red-rock canyons, mesas, and cliffs to overlook the scenery.

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Island in the Sky Canyonlands National Park

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There are two entrances to Canyonlands National Park: Island in the Sky and The Needles. The Island in the Sky Canyonlands entrance is closer to Moab. The visitor center is 32 miles north of downtown Moab. The Needles entrance is 75 miles south of Moab.

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 hike to Mesa Arch and 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.