Canyonlands National Park Trekking and Backpacking Overview

Canyonlands Trekking and Backpacking

• Trails may not be too obvious, so you'll need to keep an eye out for cairns (small rock piles) and carry a topographic map. Signs usually point the way at intersections, though remote trails may not be adequately marked.
• In the Needles District, four short trails off the scenic drive give you a sampling of the natural beauty, prehistoric history, and cowboy heritage here.
• With more than 60 miles of interconnecting trails, the Needles District offers many loop possibilities. Most trails can be done in a day, or you can combine them for a backpacking trip.
• The majority of trails have a mix of slickrock and sandy washes. Be prepared for primitive conditions, especially on the longer trails, where you might have to negotiate steep slopes, loose rock, narrow spots, or drop-offs.
• Chesler Park Loop in the Needles District encircles a very pretty desert meadow surrounded by multi-colored sandstone spires. It is 11 miles roundtrip from Elephant Hill Trailhead. The loop includes the Joint Trail, which goes through a deep and narrow crack.
• Island in the Sky District's colorful upturned rock layers at Upheaval Dome may be a meteorite impact crater. Syncline Loop Trail goes around this geologic curiosity in a strenuous eight miles, or it's eleven miles if you take a side trip to the crater.
• Part of the appeal of the Maze District is its remoteness. It requires a long drive in a four-wheel-drive vehicle just to get to the trailheads.
• Land of Standing Rocks, at the heart of the Maze District, has groups of strangely shaped rock spires that are fun to explore. Hiking routes branch off to overlooks and down to Cataract Canyon's first set of rapids.