| Canyonlands National Park preserves a colorful landscape of sedimentary sandstones eroded into countless canyons, mesas and buttes by the Colorado River and its tributaries. The Colorado and Green rivers divide the park into four districts: the Island in the Sky, the Needles, the Maze and the rivers themselves. While the districts share a primitive desert atmosphere, each retains its own character and offers different opportunities for exploration and learning.Most visits to Canyonlands involve hiking, biking, boating or four-wheel driving in the park's backcountry. Overnight trips are common. For day trips, the Island in the Sky is the most accessible district, offering expansive views from many overlooks along the paved scenic drive, as well as several short hiking trails.Scenic Drives: The Island in the Sky District offers the best opportunities for sightseeing by car. The overlooks along the scenic drive are perched 1,000 feet above the surrounding terrain, providing spectacular views of the canyons below as well as the other districts. Several short trails, including Mesa Arch, Upheaval Dome and Aztec Butte, lead to interesting natural and cultural resources. Plan on spending at least an hour in the park in order to drive to Grand View Point. More time is needed to enjoy the other overlooks or explore some of the short trails.Four-Wheel Driving: There are hundreds of miles of four-wheel-drive roads in Canyonlands National Park, providing access to various campsites, trailheads and viewpoints in the park's backcountry. These roads range in difficulty from intermediate, like the White Rim Road at the Island in the Sky, to extremely technical routes like Elephant Hill in the Needles and the road to the Land of Standing Rocks in the Maze.Permits are required for all overnight trips in the backcountry. During the spring and fall, demand for permits frequently exceeds the number available. If visitors plan to visit Canyonlands National Park during peak season, especially to camp along the White Rim Road, it is recommended that reservations are made well in advance.Canyonlands National Park is famous for its mountain biking terrain, particularly for the 100-mile White Rim Road at the Island in the Sky. The Maze District also offers some multi-day trip possibilities, though the logistics and roads are more difficult (for the support vehicles, not the bikes). Many of the roads in the Needles District travel up wash bottoms and are unsuitable for bikes due to deep sand and water.Mountain bikes groups must remain on established roads and camp in designated sites. There is no single-track riding in the park. A support vehicle is recommended for all multi-day bike trips as there are no water sources along most of the roads. Guided trips are available for many destinations within Canyonlands.Rivers: The Colorado and Green rivers have played a significant role in shaping the landscape of Canyonlands National Park, and both offer an interesting way to visit the park. Above their confluence near the heart of Canyonlands National Park, the Colorado and Green rivers offer miles and miles of flat water perfect for canoes, sea kayaks and other shallow-water boats. Below the confluence, the combined flow of both rivers spills down Cataract Canyon with remarkable speed and power, creating a fourteen-mile stretch of Class III to V white water.Weather: The climate in Canyonlands National Park is extremely dry. Most precipitation falls in early spring and late summer. Summer highs often exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit, with lows in the 60's. Fall and spring temperatures are milder, with highs in the 70's and 80's. Winter temperatures range from highs in the 40's and 50's to lows well below freezing. Snow is usually light to moderate. |
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