One Day in Canyonlands National Park

Canyonlands National Park is the largest national park in Utah, yet it has the least amount of visitors per year. Covering over 250,000 acres, it has just under a million visitors each year. There are four different “districts” of Canyonlands: Island in the Sky, Needles, Maze, and Rivers. The Island in the Sky district is the most popular and accessible. If you’ve only got one day to spend in Canyonlands, I recommend focusing on the Island in the Sky and the Needles district. The Needles district is about a 2-hour drive from the Island in the Sky district, but I think it’s worth it to get a good variety of the different landscapes Canyonlands has to offer. Just a short drive from Arches National Park, Canyonlands makes a great day trip from your home base. Keep reading to learn how to spend one day in Canyonlands National Park!

Stop 1: Visitor Center Viewpoint

The first viewpoint to stop at is just across from the visitor center in the Island in the Sky district. Just park at the visitor center and head across the street to take in more canyon views on your way out of the park.

Stop 2: Mesa Arch

When you search for pictures of Canyonlands National Park, this is the iconic arch that likely comes up first and most often. Hike the short and easy 0.5-mile loop to the arch and plan on spending about 30 minutes here. This will probably be the most crowded stop of the day, so plan on getting here early. If you’re looking to get the best pictures of Mesa Arch, plan to get here for sunrise.

Stop 3: Grand Viewpoint

Take in the views of the canyon carved out by the Colorado and Green Rivers. This is a quick 10-minute stop to walk a short trail to the viewpoint and get some good pictures.

Stop 4: Chesler Park Loop Trail

For your big stop of the day, head to the Needles District to hike the Chesler Park Loop Trail. This loop is about 11 miles and will take 5-7 hours to complete, so make sure you’re starting early enough to finish before dark. Although this trail is difficult, you’ll be treated to stunning views of the needles, walk through a slot canyon, and skip the crowds of the more popular Island in the Sky trails. This trail has a lot of areas to veer off so make sure you download an app like AllTrails to keep you on the right track.