Alcove Spring Trail

• After descending 1,400 ft (4276 m) past a large alcove, the trail meanders in a wide canyon to the base of the notable Moses and Zeus towers.  

Aztec Butte Trail

• This trail climbs two sandstone buttes to outstanding views and stone granaries built by Indigenous people centuries ago.

Aztec Butte: The Value of Storage

Big Spring Canyon Overlook and Trailhead

• Big Spring rests at the end of the Needles Park Road. From the overlook, unique rock spires and multi-colored sandstone benches line the bend in the canyon. The presence of the spring allows trees and plants to flourish in the spring and summer months.

Big Spring Canyon Overlook: Protecting Wilderness

Big Spring Canyon to Elephant Canyon Loop Trail

• This loop features extended hiking on slickrock benches and mesa tops overlooking canyons. Excellent views of sheer cliff walls and other rock formations. Must climb two ladders.

Big Spring Canyon to Wooden Shoe Canyon Loop Trail

• A great introduction to the landscape of The Needles, this route connects two canyons for a loop across varied terrain.

Buck Canyon Overlook

• From a paved overlook at 6,240 feet (1,902 m) in elevation, enjoy sweeping vistas to the west and across the Colorado River canyon. 

Buck Canyon: Tracks in the Canyon

Campground Amphitheatre: Discover the Night

Candlestick Tower Overlook

• From this small roadside pullout, you can see sweeping views of Canyonlands and several prominent rock features, once of which, resembles a group of candlesticks.

Canyonlands' Cave Spring Trail

• Water is scarce in this desert. From this trailhead, hike a short, 0.6-mile (1 km) loop leading to a historic cowboy camp and prehistoric rock markings, all made possible by a small but essential natural spring.

Cave Spring: Water to Live By

Chesler Park Loop and Joint Trail

• This trail provides many great panoramas of the Needles formations. The Joint Trail winds through deep, narrow fractures in the rock.

Chesler Park Viewpoint Trail

• This popular trail leads to a pass overlooking a scenic expanse of desert grasses and shrubs surrounded by sandstone spires. 

Colorado River Overlook

• This overlook is 7 miles down a rugged, unpaved road. You must have a high-clearance, four-wheel-drive vehicle or mountain bike. No permit required; no camping allowed.

Confluence Overlook Trail

• Unlike other Needles hikes, this trail traverses dry, open country along the northern edge of the geologic faults that shaped the Needles. The trail ends at a cliff overlooking the junction of the Green and Colorado rivers 1,000 ft (304 m) below.

Druid Arch Trail

• This trail offers one of the most spectacular views in The Needles. It follows the first part of the Chesler Park trail, then branches off to travel along the bottom of Elephant Canyon through deep sand and loose rock. The last 1.25 mile at the upper end is steep with one ladder and some scrambling.

Elephant Hill Access Road: The Needles

Fort Bottom Trail

• Fort Bottom Ruin is an ancient stone structure overlooking the Green River, built by Indigenous inhabitants of the Canyonlands area centuries ago. It is only reachable from the 4WD White Rim Road (permit required).

Gooseberry Trail

• The steepest trail in this district of Canyonlands, Gooseberry descends over a thousand feet of scree slopes and switchbacks across sheer cliffs.

Gooseneck Overlook Trail

• This short walk from the 4WD White Rim Road (permit required) ends abruptly at an overlook of a meandering gooseneck bend in the Colorado River.

Grand View Point Overlook and Trail

• Grand View Point offers a spectacular view of the Canyonlands area. From this panoramic viewpoint at 6,080 feet elevation, you can see distant mountains, canyons, basins, and the four-wheel-drive White Rim Road far below. A short trail leads to even more views.

Grand View Point: Carving the Canyons

Grand View Point: Grand View Point Overlook

Green River Overlook

• Best mesa-top view of the Green River far below. Can be lovely for sunset.

Green River Overlook: Green River Overlook

Green River Overlook: What Shall We Find?

Horseshoe Canyon

• Horseshoe Canyon contains some of the most significant pictographs in North America. The Great Gallery, the best-known panel in Horseshoe Canyon, includes well-preserved, life-sized figures with intricate designs. Other impressive sights include spring wildflowers, sheer sandstone walls, and mature cottonwood groves along the intermittent stream in the canyon bottom. Horseshoe Canyon was added to Canyonlands National Park in 1971.

Island in the Sky Entrance Station

Island in the Sky Visitor Center: There's Something in the Air

Lathrop Trail

• The Lathrop Trail crosses a wide grassland on the mesa top, enjoys views of Colorado River, then descends into the canyon below. For a moderate trail option, hikers often turn around at the canyon rim. Continuing down to the White Rim Road means a strenuous hike back out.

Mesa Arch Trail

• Short hike to a natural stone arch perched at the mesa's edge, framing views of La Sal Mountains and the canyon below.

Mesa Arch: Keeping it Together

Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area

• The Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area preserves the natural, historical, and cultural heritage legacies and contributions of Mormon settlement in the West. The heritage area accomplishes this through community-led efforts to connect with the past by telling the Mormon pioneer story.

Moses and Zeus Towers Trail

• Moses and Zeus are two prominent towers overlooking Taylor Canyon. This trail leads to their base. Reaching this trail requires a hike down Alcove Spring Trail (11.2 mi/18.3 km roundtrip) or a permit to drive the 4WD White Rim Road.

Murphy Loop Trail

• A great full-day hike with 1,400 feet (440 m) elevation change, the Murphy Loop Trail offers outstanding views from atop the Murphy Hogback and White Rim Road.

Murphy Point Trail

• This mostly level hike leads past a historic corral on the mesa top. The trail ends with panoramic views of Candlestick Tower, the Green River, and the White Rim Road.

Neck Spring Trail

• A walk back in time, this loop trail passes historic ranching features and two springs where cowboys watered cattle.

Orange Cliffs Overlook

• Enjoy panoramic views across the canyon of the Green River to the dazzling sandstone cliffs of the aptly named Orange Cliffs unit of Glen Canyon Recreation Area.

Orange Cliffs Overlook: Protecting Wilderness

Peekaboo Trail

• Steep slopes and nearby cliff edges make this a challenging route. Two ladders must be climbed.

Pets in Canyonlands

• Pets and owners have a special bond, but a national park is not always the best place for pets. Canyonlands National Park is a designated natural area, and its purpose is to preserve and protect the park's natural environment, cultural resources, wildlife, and scenic beauty.

Pothole Point Trail

• This short loop trail (0.6 mi/1 km) crosses sandstone dimpled with pockets called potholes, which may be filled with surprising aquatic life.

Scenic Drive Picnic Area: Life in the Balance

Shafer Canyon Overlook: Anatomy of a Canyon

Shafer Canyon Overlook: Dropping into the Canyons

Shafer Trail Viewpoint

• The Shafer Trail Viewpoint at Island in the Sky provides an incredible view of this iconic road that descends 1,500 feet (457 m) down colorful sandstone walls to the canyon basin.

Slickrock Trail

• This trail features expansive 360-degree views into Big Spring Canyon and Little Spring Canyon, with the La Sal Mountains and Abajo Mountains in the background. Geology guide available at trailhead. 

Slickrock: Keeping it Together

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