Entrance Fee
$30.00
/ Entrance - Private Vehicle
Park Hours (Today)
All Day
Island in the Sky Visitor Center: 8:00AM - 5:00PM
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About the Park
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.
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What to See & Do
Stargazing Events in Southeast Utah
Rangers occasionally lead stargazing programs and events at parks throughout southeast Utah. Learn about what to expect and check out a schedule of stargazing events at Arches and Canyonlands national parks and Hovenweep and Natural Bridges national monuments. Even when formal programs are not offered, people are welcome to enjoy the parks after dark on their own.
Hiking at Canyonlands
Canyonlands has hundreds of miles of hiking trails which explore the park’s natural and cultural features. Both Island in the Sky and The Needles provide ample opportunities for short walks, day hikes and backpacking trips. Due to its remoteness, The Maze is primarily a backpacking destination.
Boating in Canyonlands
The Colorado and Green rivers have played a significant role in shaping the landscape of Canyonlands. Boating is a great way to see the park from the bottom up, and affords boaters a unique perspective.
Canyonlands Junior Ranger Program
There are a few ways to become a junior ranger at Canyonlands. Free junior ranger booklets are available at park visitor centers, or you can download them from the park website. Filled with fun activities, these books reveal the wonders of Canyonlands to kids and parents alike. After completing certain exercises, you can earn a junior ranger badge and signed certificate.
Backcountry Camping in Canyonlands
What better way to connect with this wilderness of countless canyons than on foot? Canyonlands offers hundreds of miles of hiking trails with designated campsites for overnight backcountry travel.
Experience the Shafer Trail
The Shafer Trail is a challenging, unpaved backcountry road for recreational users seeking the experience of a lifetime. High-clearance 4WD vehicles with a low range gear (4LO) are required. ATVs, OHVs, or UTVs are not permitted inside the park.
Self-Guided Tours
Slickrock Guided Hike
Learn about the geology of Canyonlands National Park on this self-guided moderate hike. Here visitors will find four designated viewpoints that offer impressive views of Big Spring Canyon, Little Spring Canyon, and the surrounding landscape. This moderate trail is 2.4 mi (3.9 km) roundtrip and takes an average of 1.5 hours to complete. All viewpoints on this trail are unprotected - Use extreme caution around canyon edges.
2 Hours in Island in the Sky
Want to make the most out of your 2 hours in the park? Visit Grand View Point and Green River Overlook, and hike the 0.5-mile-loop nature trail to Mesa Arch.
2 Hours in The Needles
Looking to make the most of two hours in the park? Start at the Needles Visitor Center to watch the park orientation film and grab a map from one of our friendly rangers. Hike one or two of the short interpretive trails, like Stone Storehouse or Pothole Point, stop by Wooden Shoe Arch Overlook, then drive to Big Spring Canyon Overlook to enjoy the view.
Visitor Centers
Island in the Sky Visitor Center
The Island in the Sky Visitor Center offers exhibits, book & map sales, park orientation film, backcountry permits, general information, vault toilets, and park rangers on duty. You can get drinking water inside (during open hours) or outside (24 hours a day) during summer and fall. Water is only available inside (during open hours) in winter.
The Needles Visitor Center
The Needles Visitor Center normally offers exhibits, book & map sales, backcountry permits, information, picnic area, and park rangers on duty. The park orientation movie (15 minutes) is available on demand. Water is available year-round. When the visitor center is closed in winter, you must self-register for backcountry permits outside the visitor center entrance.
Hans Flat Ranger Station
The remote Hans Flat (Maze) Ranger Station is normally open daily year-round. This ranger contact station has a picnic table and vault toilet, and a small selection of books and maps for sale. There are no services, food, gas, trash collection, electricity for visitor use, nor potable water in The Maze. The nearest communities with amenities are Hanksville (68 miles) and Green River (86 miles).
Canyonlands Backcountry Office
The central backcountry office is located at park administrative offices south of Moab. Rangers can answer questions about backcountry travel over phone or email and issue permits online.
Where to Stay
The Needles Campground
The Needles Campground has 26 individual sites. Nightly camping fee for an individual site is $20. You can reserve some individual sites spring through fall. Other times of the year, individual sites are first-come, first-served. There are toilets, picnic tables, and fire rings in the campground. This park district also has three group campsites described on a separate page.
Island in the Sky (Willow Flat) Campground
Island in the Sky Campground (Willow Flat) has 12 sites, first-come, first-served. The campground is open year-round. The spectacular Green River Overlook is nearby. Nightly camping fee is $15 per site. Sites fill quickly spring through fall. There are toilets, picnic tables, and fire rings in the campground. There is no water at the campground. You can get drinking water outside the visitor center spring through fall.
The Needles District Group Campsites
The Needles district has three group campsites in different locations, which can accommodate up to 15, 25, or 50 campers (respectively). Group campsites may be reserved for nights between mid-March and mid-November.
Getting Here & Transit
How to Get Here
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.
Park Amenities
Permits & Reservations
Permits may be required
Some activities in Canyonlands National Park — including backcountry camping, certain trails, and climbing routes — require advance permits. Check the official NPS website for current requirements before your visit.
Entrance Fees & Passes
Standard Fees
Entrance - Private Vehicle
$30.00Admits one private, non-commercial vehicle (15 passenger capacity or less) and all its occupants.
Entrance - Motorcycle
$25.00Valid for 7 days. Admits up to 2 private, non-commercial motorcycles with up to 4 total passengers.
Entrance - Per Person
$15.00Admits one individual with no car. Typically used for bicyclists, hikers, and pedestrians. Youth 15 and under are admitted free.
Annual & Lifetime Passes
Annual Entrance - Park
$55.00Valid for one year through the month of purchase. Admits one (1) private, non-commercial vehicle or its pass holder to Arches and Canyonlands national parks, and Natural Bridges and Hovenweep national monuments. U.S. residents only.
Operating Hours
Open Year-round
Canyonlands National Park is generally open 24 hours a day, year-round.
- MondayAll Day
- TuesdayAll Day
- WednesdayAll Day
- ThursdayAll Day
- FridayAll Day
- SaturdayAll Day
- SundayAll Day
Photos
a broad stone arch with rock pinnacles in the distance
a rugged canyon
A windy steep dirt road leads up the side of a sandstone cliff. River in background.
Large reddish pictographs on a lighter red sandstone wall
When to Go
Crowd CalendarPlan your trip around peak seasons to avoid crowds or embrace the energy of the busy months. Our crowd predictions are based on historical NPS Visitor Use Statistics.
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Best Time
Year-round
Trip Length
2-4 days
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Planning Canyonlands
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