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Canyonlands National Park

National Park · Utah, 🇺🇸 United States
Area 1,343 km²
Time zone America/Denver
Official website nps.gov/cany
Canyonlands National Park

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Featured Lists

snowpeak / CC BY 2.0

Canyonlands National Park Unmissables

Canyonlands National Park preserves a vast landscape of canyons, mesas, and arches carved by the Colorado and Green Rivers. This selection highlights the accessible Island in the Sky district, featuring the sunrise photography spot at Mesa Arch and the 1,000-foot deep Upheaval Dome crater. It also includes the Needles district, known for its colorful sandstone spires. Key overlooks provide panoramic views of the White Rim sandstone bench and the deep river incisions that define Utah's high desert.

10 places
Nikater / Public domain

Canyonlands Vistas and Peaks

This collection highlights the primary vantage points within the Island in the Sky and Needles districts of Canyonlands National Park. These locations overlook deep canyons carved by the Green and Colorado Rivers, including the 1,000-foot drops at Buck Canyon and the expansive white sandstone bench of the White Rim. The list includes geological features such as the three-mile-wide Upheaval Dome and technical landmarks like the Shafer Trail switchbacks and the rugged Elephant Hill terrain.

20 places

Canyonlands Camping Adventures

This collection features diverse camping options within Canyonlands National Park’s distinct districts: Island in the Sky, The Needles, and the remote Maze. It includes developed National Park Service campgrounds like Willow Flat and the Needles District Campground, alongside primitive backcountry sites along the White Rim Road and Salt Creek Canyon. Most remote locations require high-clearance 4WD vehicles and overnight permits, offering direct access to the park’s signature sandstone fins, prehistoric rock art, and deep river canyons.

20 places

Canyonlands Archaeological Sites

Canyonlands National Park preserves a vast collection of Ancestral Puebloan and Barrier Canyon style archaeological sites. This selection features significant rock art panels, such as the life-sized figures of the Great Gallery, and well-preserved masonry like the Fort Bottom Ruin. These sites, ranging from high-desert granaries to intricate pictographs in the Maze and Needles districts, provide physical evidence of human habitation dating back thousands of years. Visitors can observe prehistoric handprints, symbolic art, and historic cowboy camps.

12 places

Canyonlands Permitted Gems

Accessing the remote corners of Canyonlands National Park requires careful planning and a backcountry permit. This list features designated campsites along the 100-mile White Rim Road in the Island in the Sky district and the isolated Maze district. These sites provide basecamps for exploring sandstone fins, deep canyons, and the Green and Colorado Rivers. Facilities are minimal, typically consisting of a single vault toilet, requiring visitors to carry all water and pack out all solid human waste.

25 places

Canyonlands National Park — Map

Canyonlands National Park — Map

Climate & when to visit

Best time to visit: May, September, October

Select a month

Typical weather in January

Poor
  • 6° (feels like 1°) · extremes -11°–12°
  • -4° at night
  • 4 rainy days
  • 18 sunny days
  • 7 hours of sunshine per day
  • Dry air
  • Light breeze
  • UV index 2 · low

Typical weather in February

Poor
  • 9° (feels like 4°) · extremes -8°–16°
  • -2° at night
  • 4 rainy days
  • 16 sunny days
  • 7 hours of sunshine per day
  • Dry air
  • Light breeze
  • UV index 4 · moderate

Typical weather in March

Fair
  • 14° (feels like 9°) · extremes -5°–22°
  • 1° at night
  • 5 rainy days
  • 21 sunny days
  • 9 hours of sunshine per day
  • Dry air
  • Light breeze
  • UV index 6 · high

Typical weather in April

Good
  • 19° (feels like 14°) · extremes -3°–27°
  • 4° at night
  • 4 rainy days
  • 22 sunny days
  • 11 hours of sunshine per day
  • Dry air
  • Light breeze
  • UV index 8 · very high

Typical weather in May

Great
  • 25° (feels like 20°) · extremes 3°–33°
  • 9° at night
  • 4 rainy days
  • 23 sunny days
  • 12 hours of sunshine per day
  • Dry air
  • Light breeze
  • UV index 9 · very high

Typical weather in June

Good
  • 32° (feels like 28°) · extremes 9°–38°
  • 16° at night
  • 2 rainy days
  • 26 sunny days
  • 13 hours of sunshine per day
  • Dry air
  • Light breeze
  • UV index 10 · very high
Up to 9 days above 35°

Typical weather in July

Poor
  • 35° (feels like 33°) · extremes 16°–40°
  • 20° at night
  • 7 rainy days
  • 25 sunny days
  • 12 hours of sunshine per day
  • Dry air
  • Calm winds
  • UV index 10 · very high
Up to 17 days above 35°

Typical weather in August

Fair
  • 33° (feels like 31°) · extremes 15°–38°
  • 19° at night
  • 7 rainy days
  • 23 sunny days
  • 11 hours of sunshine per day
  • Dry air
  • Calm winds
  • UV index 9 · very high
Up to 9 days above 35°

Typical weather in September

Great
  • 28° (feels like 25°) · extremes 7°–34°
  • 14° at night
  • 6 rainy days
  • 23 sunny days
  • 10 hours of sunshine per day
  • Dry air
  • Light breeze
  • UV index 7 · high

Typical weather in October

Great
  • 20° (feels like 16°) · extremes -1°–29°
  • 6° at night
  • 5 rainy days
  • 23 sunny days
  • 9 hours of sunshine per day
  • Dry air
  • Light breeze
  • UV index 5 · moderate

Typical weather in November

Fair
  • 13° (feels like 8°) · extremes -5°–21°
  • 1° at night
  • 3 rainy days
  • 21 sunny days
  • 8 hours of sunshine per day
  • Dry air
  • Light breeze
  • UV index 3 · moderate

Typical weather in December

Poor
  • 7° (feels like 2°) · extremes -10°–13°
  • -3° at night
  • 4 rainy days
  • 17 sunny days
  • 6 hours of sunshine per day
  • Dry air
  • Light breeze
  • UV index 2 · low

Climate data: NASA POWER (MERRA-2) · 1996–2025

Practical information

Currency
US Dollar USD $ · Card payments · Widely accepted
Emergency numbers
911 Police · Ambulance · Fire brigade
Electricity
Type A / Type B
120 V · 60 Hz
Languages
English
Tap water
Safe to drink
Driving side
Right
Calling code
+1
Learn more

Tours & Activities

Green River Great Overlook
Drive
Mesa Arch
Drive
Grand View Point

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