If you have a short amount of time to spend in Canyonlands National Park near Moab, Utah, head for the Island in the Sky mesa (also known as Between the Rivers). Resting on sheer sandstone cliffs that rise more than 1,000 above the surrounding area, this spectacular landscape has many pull-outs for photos, hiking trails and four-wheel-drive-accessible roads. It is the most visited and easily accessible area of the Canyonlands – close to both Moab and Arches National Park. Here are the best things to do in Canyonlands and Island in the Sky.
Check Out the Island in the Sky Visitor Center
Open year-round, seven days a week, the Island in the Sky Visitor Center should be your first stop within the park. Talk to rangers about current conditions of trails and roads, get hiking and driving recommendations, pick up books and maps, secure backcountry permits if needed, stock up on water and more.
Drive the Island in the Sky Scenic Route
Drive along the rim of the mighty mesa, with various pullout for amazing vistas of the surrounding countryside and rugged canyons. Along the scenic drive, you’ll reach Grand View Point, Mesa Arch, the Green River Overlook, Upheaval Dome and more. if you’re in nearby Dead Horse Point Utah State Park, you’ll also get incredible views. The drive also provides access to the Willow Flat Campground, open year-round.
Drive the Shafer Trail
For recreational, adrenaline-seeking 4WD drivers, the Shafter Trail at the Island in the Sky district of Canyonlands National Park is a hair-raising experience. This unpaved backcountry road leads you down 1,500 feet down a colorful sandstone cliff. Trivia fact: This route was created by Native Americans to access resources at the top of the mesa and also by sheep herders when moving flocks to better foraging grounds.
Hike the Syncline Trail
Expert hikers, lace up your boots for this challenging trail in the Island in the Sky district. During the trek, you will make a loop around the Upheaval Dome, but you will not gain views of the Dome itself. For that, check out the Upheaval Dome Overlook Trail. The Syncline Trail navigates colorful canyons, switchbacks, boulder fields and a 1,300-foot elevation change.
Visit Grand View Point
For remarkable vistas of Canyonland National Park, stop at Grand View Point in the Island in the Sky district. You’ll stand at 6,080 feet and be able to see mountains, canyons, basins and the White Rim Road. This is the southernmost point of the Island in the Sky scenic drive, about a 15-minute drive from the visitor center and an hour’s drive from Moab. Look for the outdoor exhibit that points out The Needles, Monument Basin, the La Sal Mountains, the Abajo Mountains the White Rim Road. There’s a second view point about a mile down some stairs and along uneven surfaces and cliff edges.
Tackle the White Rim Road
The 100-mile White Rim Road is a rite of passage for adventurous travelers to the Island in the Sky district in the Canyonlands. To full complete the route by four-wheel-drive, plan on two to three days; by mountain bike, plan on three to four days. You’ll experience challenging, exposed sections of the Shafer Trail, Lathrop Canyon Road, Murphy Hogback, Hardscrabble Hill and the Mineral Bottom switchbacks.
Hiking in the Island in the Sky District
The shorter hiking trails in the Island of the Sky area allow you to explore the mesa top with minimal elevation change. More moderate trails do encounter elevation change, while the longest trails begin on the mesa top and descend to the White Rim bench or one of the rivers. One of the best trails is to the White Rim Overlook, facing east to the immense canyons. Hike 250 feet to the top of Whale Rock (a long sandstone formation resembling a beached whale) for a view of Upheaval Dome and the surrounding canyons. Or, snap a few Insta-worthy shots in the spectacular stone Mesa Arch in the Island of the Sky district. From the cliff-side arch, you’ll have far-reaching views of canyons, rock spires and the La Sal Mountains. It’s an easy half-mile hike to get there and as such, can get crowded, so plan to come early or later in the day.
The Gooseberry trail is one of the five maintained paths descending from Island in the Sky to the White Rim Road. It’s short and steep, staying close to the edge of the plateau. You’ll descent 1,100 feet in just over a mile, then follow a gentler 1.5 miles until the junction of White Rim Road and the edge of Gooseberry Canyon. Extend the hike south by following White Rim Road or a shortcut over a narrow ridge to the rim of Monument Basin and its many spires of red sandstone.
Visit Nearby Attractions
Want more? Check out Dead Horse State Park near the Canyonlands Island in the Sky district for fantastic mountain biking. Take a guided rafting or float trip on the Green River. Explore the Moab area. Extend your trip with an exploration of Capitol Reef National Park in south-central Utah’s red-rock country. Mountain bike the Slickrock Trail northeast of Moab, over petrified sand dunes and the remains of an ancient seabed. Pop over to The Needles district in Canyonlands NP and take on the technical four-wheel-drive-only (or mountain bike) Elephant Hill road.
Check out the other districts of the Canyonlands if you have time. The Maze is the most remote and calls for self-sufficiency and proper equipment to tackle difficult roads. The Needles, in the southeast corner of the park, is much more accessible and named for the colorful spires of the Cedar Mesa Sandstone. There are plentiful hiking trails as well as four-wheel-drive roads to explore, leading to Tower Ruin, Elephant Hill and Confluence Overlook.