Canyonlands National Park Travel Information
Canyonlands National Park is wild, remote, inhospitable and
terribly beautiful. It is home to an immense expanse of deep
orange-red canyons and a wonderful array of superlative red rock
formations. In addition to being a feast for the eyes, it provides
great opportunities for hiking, mountain biking, 4WD adventuring and
whitewater rafting.
Canyonlands is effectively split into three distinct "districts" by
the Colorado and Green rivers. Since there are no bridges across the
rivers, one must drive great distances to visit more than one area.
Canyonlands should therefore be thought of as three distinct parks --
the Island in the Sky, the Needles (accessible through Blanding or Monticello) and the Maze. Each offers the
visitor something a bit different. The Island in the Sky is best known
for its spectacular views and overlooks and is readily traveled by a
34-mile scenic route. While the Island is for looking, the Needles is
for foot exploration and the park’s longest and most strenuous hikes
are here. The Maze District is free admission, but can only be
accessed by rough roads. Butch Cassidy used to hide here and it
remains impressively untouched even today.
Canyonlands is located about 68 miles from Moab and 63 miles from Arches National
Park. Keep in mind that because of remote nature of the roads,
travel time may be longer than you expect. Canyonlands Area Map.
To learn more about Canyonlands National Park, select a topic of
interest from the left-hand column.
| 
