June 10th 2023
I was not familiar with Canyonlands National Park when we started our journey. It sits about 30 minutes from Moab and is Utah’s biggest national park. At 337,598 acres it is over four times the size of it’s much more popular sister, Arches National Park. If you are looking for a quiet hike or visit, choose Canyonlands.
Canyonlands is broken up into several districts and each area is inaccessible from the other. We were closest to the most accessible portion of the park, Island in the Sky, so we spent our time there.
Islands in the Sky is a mesa that rises over 1000 feet over the surrounding lands. It is filled with gorgeous overlooks and it feels like you can see forever.
The Maze is the least accessible area of the park. It is not recommended that you hike into the Maze unless you are well prepared and very experienced. You must have the right equipment to self rescue if needed as the area is very remote and can be dangerous.
The Needles is at the southeast part of the park and got its name from the bright sandstone that just into the air.
The last section of the park is comprised of the Colorado and Green that wind through the other areas. There are parts of the rivers that are peaceful and perfect for kayaking and canoes, and below the Confluence you can enjoy rafting in the powerful whitewater.
Sources – Visit Utah, nps.gov and our own experiences!