Snapshot Plan Your VisitWhen we visited the park We visited the park the second week of March. The park is pretty spread out with the four different sections to visit, so the crowds were very manageable. We only visited the Island in the Sky section of the park. There were many large buses and RVs driving the main road through the Island in the Sky, so I can imagine it being very busy during the summer months. The weather did not cooperate with us, and the first day we were at the park was raining, windy, and cold. The next day, however, was a beautiful. I started the morning at Mesa Arch, and it was cool but manageable with a coat and hat.  weather-us.com Things to Consider 1. The first thing to know is, this park has 4 different sections. None of them are connected within park borders, and it can take over two hours to reach the different sections. So if you want to see the park, either prioritize, or allow yourself a couple of days here. 2. For some of the remote areas, consider using a 4-wheel or high clearance vehicle. 3. There are no lodges in the park, but Moab is nearby and offers many options for lodging. 4. This park is busy in the peak-season, we saw signs at the entrance marking an hour wait and 30 minute wait. Arrive early, and be patient. 5. Binoculars might be good for this park, there are wide-open expanses from different viewpoints. 6. If you are planning on visiting more than two parks in a year, consider buying a National Parks Annual Pass. It is called America the Beautiful and costs $80 a year, starting from purchase point.   Springhill Suites Pool How to Get There You will have to visit each district of the park separately; no bridges or roads connect the districts within the park.
Where to Stay Inside the Park Island in the Sky (Willow Flats) 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 camping fee is $15 per site. Sites fill quickly spring through fall. Needles Campground The Needles Campground has 26 individual sites, plus 3 group sites in different locations around The Needles district. Nightly camping fee for an individual site is $20. You can reserve some individual sites spring through fall. Other times of the year, individual sites are first-come, first-served. Backcountry Camping Canyonlands has an extensive backcountry where people enjoy backpacking, four-wheel driving, boating, bicycling, and more. Check in with rangers or the NPS website for more information on how to safely use the backcountry. Outside the Park Moab, UT Moab is the closest city, and there are a lot of options of where to stay. Depending on what you are looking for, Moab should have something for everyone. Use the link above to get to the Moab website and recommended lodging options. Springhill Suites We stayed at the Springhill Suites-Moab. It is the closest hotel to the entrance of Arches. It also has the most amazing heated pool area. It was perfect for the kids to go swimming at, even in March weather, after hiking all day. There is a kiddie pool area with waterfalls, and multiple hot tubs available for all ages. Campgrounds Campgrounds Courthouse Rock Campground This 10-site campground is 26 miles from Island in the Sky Visitor Center There are two sites that you are able to reserve ahead of time and the other 8 are on a first-come, first-serve basis for $20 a night. You will need to make reservations or use the app for recreation.gov to be able to reserve a campsite here. North Klondike Campground This 25-site campground is located about 27 miles from Island in the Sky Visitor Center. The sites are available on a first-come, first-serve basis for $20 a night. You will need the recreation.gov app to reserve a campsite here. This campsite is close to biking trails, and a great place for bikers to stay.   What We Did We visited the park on two different days. The first day was not the best weather, so we cut it short and decided to come back the next morning. We only visited Island in the Sky, after deciding to split this part of the park into two days. We had intended on going to The Needles Section as well, but we did not make it. If we had made it there, we would have gone to some of the outlooks, hiked the Roadside Ruins Trail, and the Pothole Point Trail. The first thing we did was visit the Island in the Sky Visitor Center to get the kids their Junior Ranger books. Make sure you walk across the street here for the viewpoints here. It was one of my favorite overlooks of the park. I asked a ranger what the name of it is, but they just said it was a bonus viewpoint, and not named anything specific. We then headed down to the Grandview Point Overlook and Trail. This is spectacular! Worth the drive to the end of the park, and there are plenty of stopping points along the way. There is a trail to hike the rim here (about 1-mile one way) that is stunning. It is a one-way trail, so you need to make sure that you get on it at Grand View Point and walk to the left, towards the overlook. After this, the weather turned, and we decided to head back to Moab for the night. The next morning, I woke up early and snuck away to experience Canyonlands at sunrise. It was so worth it, and it will be a morning I remember for a long time! My goal was to get to Mesa Arch and hike the short half mile hike to see the sunrise. I got a little late start and thought I would miss it, but it was about half an hour after sunrise, and the arch was still glowing and putting on a show. There were a lot of people around for this, but everyone was very respectful and gave people space to get the photos they wanted to see. This hike was super easy, and would be a great family hike for those looking for it. After the sunrise, I decided to take advantage of some solo time in the park. I headed to Buck Canyon Overlook, Green River Overlook, The Whale Hike, and Upheaval Domes hike. I really enjoyed the Upheaval Domes hike the most. It was easy to navigate the hike with signs, and also had some coverage to help with the elements. The last place I stopped on my way out of the park was Shafer Overlook. This is another place worth stopping for while you are int he park. You feel like you are on top of the world here! It is stunning, and right off of the parking lot. Where this fit in our Road Trip This was the third park that we visited on our road trip, right after Arches National Park. We stayed in Moab for two days and spent different times of the day at Canyonlands and Arches depending on the activities we wanted to do. Moab has so much to do! You could make just this area of Utah a full vacation, without even heading west to the Kanab/Zion area. However, we wanted to see all of The Mighty 5, so this was the third part of our loop of Southern Utah. NPS App and All Trails Maps I highly recommend using the National Park Service (NPS) App, as well as the All Trails App for hiking. There is limited service in the park, so planning ahead is helpful. These two apps allow you to download sights, maps, and trails so that you can access information anywhere. The NPS app also links to the full National Parks Website, with a plethora of information.
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