I decided to combine Dead Horse Point State Park and Canyonlands National Park into one blog post because they are so close to each other and also so similar! They are both remote parks best known for their amazing vistas and hiking above the wide canyons of Utah. These parks were also the quicker stops on our trip to Moab.
Canyonlands National Park
Canyonlands National Park in unique because features three independent sections: Island in the Sky, the Needles, and the Maze. With limited time in area, my Dad and I decided to explore the section closest to Moab, Island in the Sky. The park offers limited hiking, but has hundreds of miles of off-road 4WD vehicle trails and for those more water sport inclined offers some exceptional white water rafting in Cataract Canyon. Or at least exceptional for Utah. As a general rule of thumb for all of southern Utah, the earlier in the day you start, the better. It get hot quickly, and you drain your water extremely fast.
Viewpoints in Canyonlands National Park
Our first stop was Shafer Trail Viewpoint! A super popular stop just past the Island in the Sky visitors center, and a view I always see in other peoples photos. My dad and I also stopped at Buck Canyon Overlook quickly. Plus, we did several shorter hikes in Island in the Sky that lead to great overlooks. The details of the hikes are below!
Mesa Arch
Mesa Arch was our second stop in the park. This short 0.7 mile hiking loop is along the main park road. The hike was super easy and accessible with almost no elevation change. If there are no open parking spot in the small lot just hangout for a few minutes and one will open up. Like all our stops in both of these parks, the views did not disappoint. This one had the added bonus of an arch.
White Rim Overlook Trail
This was our fourth stop in the national park. White Rime Overlook is 1.8 miles round trip, has very little elevation gain, and the entire trail is exposed. White Rim Overlook Trail takes you out to the edge of the mesa overlooking White Rim Canyon and the White Rim OHV trail. From the viewpoint at the end you could see bikers, dirt bikes, and 4WD vehicles making their way around the the park.
Grand View Point Overlook Trail
Out last true stop in was Grand View Point Overlook Trail. Grand View Point Overlook is super accessible to everyone, but the trail continues for 1.8 miles round trip for some additional views of White Rim Canyon. After this short hike we drove past the Aztec Buttes and Upheaval Dome. We opted out of those hikes because we were drained from the rest of our adventures over the weekend.
Dead Horse Point State Park
Dead Horse Point State Park was a quick stop for my Dad, Winter, and I during. We arrived in the late afternoon and wanted an epic sunset viewpoint – and this state park is known for them! Be prepared to pay a $20 entrance fee for this state park. We did not do too much actual hiking here. However the park does offer an east rim and west rim hike plus plenty of camping options. The park is a “quick” 45 minute drive from Moab. Be sure you are on the lookout for cows on your way – the road cuts through open rangeland and we almost took out a cow (and my car) on the way home.
Before you go
Canyonlands National Park and Dead Horse Point State Park are remote. The Island in the Sky section gate is about an hour from Moab, the Needles gate is about 2 hours from Moab, and the Maze is even farther. Prepare for a day without phone service and no options for food or water except what you bring and what they offer at park visitors center. Both parks can get extremely windy and extremely hot during the summer months. I left a souvenir, my trusty hat, on the White Rim Overlook Trail due to the wind.
Much like Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park does not have a shuttle bus system. In fact – aside from the main park roads in Island in the Sky and the Needles, all other roads in the park require high clearance 4WD vehicles to even attempt to drive them. The Maze section of the park is only accessible with an off-road vehicle.
Both of these parks are international dark sky parks so you can catch amazing views of the milky way and other amazing night sky features.
While Canyonlands National Park is not really in Moab, there are plenty of other things to do nearby. We also hiked Corona Arch, Mill Creek Trail, and explored Arches National Park.