It's so amazing place with stunning view of canyon. The only things that I didn't prepare enough time to stay. I will certainly spend a week in here down into canyon, and not just stay on top.
See my review for Canyonlands National Park. If you are looking for peace and raw beauty, don't miss this park!
Only about 30 miles from Moab and a great place to spend a day driving to different overlooks and hikes. Stop by the visitor center. They have a 15 minute video and lots of ranger help to plan your day. Definitely ask about any ranger lead talk and walks. They have then every day I believe.Number one favorite for us was the Grand View Point Trail: It is about a mile in so 2.0 miles round trip. Relatively easy. We did it was a ranger lead talk/walk and it was EXCELLENT. The talk walk out was 1.5 hours with lots of stops and very interesting topics. He will also answer any questions. This was the highlight of the trip.The Mesa Arch was also excellent. Very different than the Arches NP Arches. It looks more like an arch made of a fallen tree from afar. It is at the edge of the trail looking off into the canyons. Some good pictures here.Also good was the Green River overlook and Upheaval Dome Trails. On thing is we and others had trouble finding the second Upheaval Dome overlook. We found a number of good overlooks but were never sure we got to the end. The trail seemed to just keep going and we though (using pedometer) we had gone past the mileage quotes. So we just turned around when we thought we had seen the crater and enjoyed enjoy of the trail.With the ranger talk and lunch we were there for about 6 hours. A good day.
With lots of overlooks and several trails to explore this offers great views of the Green and Colorado Rivers and the canyons. The size of the canyons is amazing. Well worth a visit.
The Park is entered on top of a Mesa, the Island in the Sky. A unique perspective on the canyon, shifting with every bend in the road. For those with limited mobility it is the best way to enjoy the parl
We did not do the Needles side of the park but this side was breathtaking! There are several overlooks well worth the stop and very easy to walk to (a few hundred feet). The Grand View is worth the drive to the end of the road. The Aztec Buttes trail is fun and challenging on one butte and you get to see some Native American granaries built into the cliffs. The syncline loop trail was a lot of fun but just know you will have to climb over rocks and plan for a challenge! We went to the right first and were happy we did as it would have meant a LONG uphill at the end. We had a compact uphill which was hard but better to climb stairs. And alternative to the whole loop is to go to the overlooks and then take the left trail to the bottom and into the dome crater. It would still be difficult but the trail is better marked/defined. Have fun out there!
-How cool was it to see Mesa Arch? Pretty cool! :) But don’t just take a picture through the Arch opening, check out what’s on the other side too by walking around arch itself to the cliff side.-Grand View, once you check out the overlook and drive a short way to the parking lot, there is an overlook from there to that looks like a gigantic dinosaur footstep, the best way to describe it, no need to walk the one mile hike. Grand view is great when the sun is up higher in the sky.
A park that sits atop a mesa, and has absolutely beautiful views. Canyonlands National Park has two distinct sections which are not connected within the park. The entrance to this section is north of Moab and enters from the northeastern side of the park on Hwy 313. This part of the park has more road accessibility than The Needles section with 20 miles of paved, scenic road, and you can hike out from various viewpoints along the way. Get out of your car and check out the signs - they give you all the info about that particular natural attraction. Trails range from .5 to 5.8 miles round trip. Access to backcountry areas is also available. Gorgeous, gorgeous!!
There is nothing else like Island in the Sky. Much as I enjoy wandering in the Maze District or the Needles District, I will always love the awe-inspiring views that are around every corner of Island in the Sky. It has a decent range of trails - from very easy jaunts that little kids and grandparents alike can wander along, to one that involves scrambling around the rim of a crater. This is truly one of the best parks to visit with a group of people, because everyone will find something they will enjoy. You will see things from your vantage points at this park that will never leave your mind, and you will love it.
This is a lovely drive. There are so many stops along the way. A definite place to visit if you are near Moab. Don't miss Mesa Arch.