|
Main Menu > Canyonlands National Park > Planning Your Trip
| Planning Your Trip: |
Canyonlands National Park
 |
Orientation
From the rim you glimpse only segments of the Green River and the Colorado River, which flow together at the heart of Canyonlands. But everywhere you see the water’s work: canyon mazes, unbroken scarps, sandstone pillars.
The paths of the merging rivers divide the park into three districts. The high mesa known as the Island in the Sky rises as a headland 2,000 feet [609.6 meters] above the confluence. Below to the east is The Needles, where red and white banded pinnacles tower 400 feet [121.9 meters] over grassy parks and sheer-walled valleys. A fine confusion of clefts and spires across the river to the west marks The Maze, a remote region of pristine solitude. On every side the ground drops in great stairsteps. Flat benchlands end abruptly in rock walls on one side and sheer drops on the other. It is a right-angled country of standing rock, and only a few paved roads probe the edges of the park’s 527 square miles [1,365 square kilometers].
Sandstone layers of varying hardness comprise Canyonland’s visible rock. But the character of the land is largely shaped by underlying salt deposits, which, under tremendous pressure from the rock above, push upward, forming domes that fracture the surface. Because salt domes are easy to mine and seal, a dome just outside the park has been studied as a possible nuclear waste repository.
Yearly rainfall averages 8 inches [20.3 centimeters] but varies greatly from year to year. Trees that grow here have to be tough and resilient. In drought years, junipers survive by limiting growth to a few branches, letting the others die. Gnarled juniper and pinyon pine take root in the rimlands wherever soil collects, including slickrock cracks and potholes.
When to Go
Spring and fall are ideal for exploring by foot or vehicle. Summer is hot, but humidity low. Snow and cold can make it hard to get around in winter.
Statistics
- Area: 337,570 acres [136,610 hectares]
- Date Established: September 12, 1964
- State: Utah
Getting There
By Plane
- Moab (CNY) 10 miles [16.1 kilometers] east of the park
- Grand Junction (GJT) 90 miles [144.8 kilometers] southeast of the park
By Car
Island in the Sky District. From Moab (30 miles [48.3 kilometers] away), take US 191 north to Utah 313 to The Neck entrance road.
Needles District. From Moab (75 miles [120.7 kilometers] away), take US 191 south to Utah Hwy. 211 and then west for 34 miles [54.7 kilometers] to park entrance.
Maze District. From Green River, take I-70 west to Utah Hwy. 24, then south to a dirt road leading 46 miles [74 kilometers] to Hans Flat Ranger Station.
Airport at Grand Junction, Colo., about 160 miles [257.5 kilometers] from The Neck.
How to Visit
The park’s isolation and preponderance of backcountry make visiting a spectacular experience, but not for everyone; there are few visitor facilities and paved roads. A four-wheel-drive vehicle will let you explore. If you have only 1 day, visit the Island in the Sky for an overview. On another day, go to The Needles for a chance to explore classic canyon country. With more time, focus on the hiking trails and four-wheel-drive routes to The Maze and other remote areas.
Activities
Free naturalist-led activities: nature walks,
interpretive exhibits. Also, hiking, boating, rafting (permit needed), bicycling,
fishing (license required). Write or phone park for list of concessioners offering
four-wheel-drive (some areas require permit), mountain biking, hiking, and river-running
trips.
Park Information
Headquarters 2282 S.W. Resource Blvd., Moab, Utah 84532.
Phone +1 435 259 7164. Fax +1 435 719 2300.
Seasons & Accessibility Park open year-round. Flash floods from July
through Sept. can temporarily close dirt and gravel roads.
Visitor & Information Centers Visitor centers next to entrances to Island
in the Sky and The Needles, and at Hans Flat Ranger Station, just outside park near
The Maze—all open all year. Headquarters is about 30 miles [48 kilometers] northeast of park.
Entrance Fees $10 per vehicle good for 7 days, multiple
entries. Annual permit $25, also good at Arches National Park, Natural Bridge National Monument, and Hovenweep National Monument.
Pets Must be leashed at all times. Not allowed
on hiking trails, in river corridors, or on backcountry roads.
Facilities for Disabled The visitor centers and Moab headquarters
are wheelchair accessible.
Special Advisories
- Always carry water when hiking—at least a gallon [3.8 liters] per person per day. Drinking water available near Squaw Flat Campground and at the visitor centers
- Use care near cliff edges and on slickrock surfaces; falls here are often fatal
- Do not walk on cryptobiotic crust; it is a fragile, crunchy,black soil that is composed of living plants
Overnight Backpacking Permits and reservations fee required for
backpacking and 4-wheel-drive trips. These can be obtained at visitor centers, ranger
stations, and park headquarters. For information on reservations, call +1 435 259 4351.
Campsites along the White Rim Trail, in Island in the Sky, are available to mountain
bikers and campers in four-wheel-drive high-clearance vehicles. Reservations recommended during spring and fall.
Lodging
Campgrounds Two campgrounds, Squaw Flat and Willow Flat, both with 14-day limit. Open all year, first come, first served; March to Oct. filled by midmorning. Fees: None to $10 per night. No showers. Tent and RV sites; no hookups.Three group campsites in The Needles; reservations required; contact park headquarters.
No food services inside park.
Hotels, Motels, & Inns (unless otherwise noted, rates are for
2 persons in a double room, high season)
In Moab, Utah 84532:
Best Western Green Well Motel 105 S. Main
Street. 800 528 1234 or +1 435 259 6151. 72 units. $99. AC, pool, rest. Cedar Breaks Condos Center and Fourth
East. +1 435 259 7830. 6 2-bedroom units, all with full kitchens. $78. AC. Big Horn Lodge
550 S. Main Street. 800 325 6171. 57 units. $70-$82. AC, pool, restaurant. Pack Creek Ranch (15 miles; 24.1 kilometers) SE of Moab, off LaSal
Mountain Loop Rd.) P.O. Box 1270. +1 435 259 5505. Cabins, houses, bunkhouses. $135
per adult; $85 per child. Includes 3 meals, trail rides. AC, pool. Ramada Inn—Moab
182 S. Main Street. +1 435 259 7141. 84 units. $89-$110. AC, pool, restaurant.
In Monticello, Utah 84535:
Best Western Wayside Inn 197 East Central
Highway 666. 800 633 9700 or +1 435 587 2261. 35 units. $64-$69. AC, pool.Triangle H Motel
164 East Highway 666. 800 657 6622 or +1 435 587 2274. 26 units. $42-$59. AC, restaurant.
For other area accommodations, contact Utah’s
Canyonlands Region, P.O. Box 550-R9, Moab, Utah 84532. 800 635 MOAB or +1 435 259 8825.
Related Links
| |
