About Canyonlands National 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.
Plan a Visit
Core visitor information on this page is sourced from the National Park Service. NPD proximity sections use NPS reference coordinates and straight-line distance. Local source bundle updated Sep 27, 2026. View the official NPS page.
Weather & Conditions
Canyonlands is part of the Colorado Plateau, a "high desert" region that experiences wide temperature fluctuations, sometimes over 40 degrees in a single day. The temperate (and most popular) seasons are spring (April-May) and fall (mid-September-October), when daytime highs average 60 to 80 F and lows average 30 to 50…
NPS Reference Location
Park state / territory membership: Utah. This map uses the National Park Service reference coordinate. It may represent an administrative or reference point rather than a park entrance, trailhead, visitor center, or the nearest access point. Use the official NPS directions below when planning travel.
Entrance Fees
Admits one private, non-commercial vehicle (15 passenger capacity or less) and all its occupants.
Valid for 7 days. Admits up to 2 private, non-commercial motorcycles with up to 4 total passengers.
Admits one individual with no car. Typically used for bicyclists, hikers, and pedestrians. Youth 15 and under are admitted free.
Operating Hours
Canyonlands National Park is generally open 24 hours a day, year-round.
Activities
Current Alerts
Planning to visit Canyonlands this year? To ensure the best experience, please anticipate potentially long wait times at the entrance station. If overlook or trailhead parking is full, plan to return a little later. Please avoid parking on vegetation and roadways to help preserve this beautiful place for everyone to enjoy.
Getting There
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.
View Official DirectionsContact & Address
The NPS-listed address may be an administrative office, visitor center, mailing/contact location, or other park facility rather than a park entrance.
Entrance Passes
Valid 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.
Topics & Themes
Things To 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…
Hiking at Canyonlands
Canyonlands has hundreds of miles of hiking trails which explore the park’s natural and cultural features. Both Island in the…
Boating in Canyonlands
The Colorado and Green rivers have played a significant role in shaping the landscape of Canyonlands. Boating is a great…
Canyonlands Junior Ranger Program
There are a few ways to become a junior ranger at Canyonlands. Free junior ranger booklets are available at park…
Backcountry Camping in Canyonlands
What better way to connect with this wilderness of countless canyons than on foot? Canyonlands offers hundreds of miles of…
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…
More Things to Do
Additional activities and experiences from the National Park Service.
Auto Touring in Canyonlands
There are hundreds of miles of unpaved roads in Canyonlands, providing access to various campsites, trailheads, and viewpoints in the park's backcountry.…
Rock Climbing at Canyonlands
The sandstone towers at the Island in the Sky attract the most rock climbers. We do not see many climbers in the rest of…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Campgrounds
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…
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.…
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…
Nearby National Park Service Sites
These sites are ordered by straight-line distance between NPS reference coordinates. This is useful for comparison, but it is not road mileage. Trails, parkways, rivers, and distributed units may extend far from their reference point.
Nearby Cities for Trip Planning
These cities are ordered by straight-line distance from the NPS reference coordinate. They are comparison starting points, not official park gateways or road-distance estimates. Trails and other distributed units may extend far beyond this reference point.
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