Travelling Utah with a Campervan – Canyonlands National Park

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My parents and I headed to Canyonlands National Park after leaving Moab, Dead Horse Point State Park, and Arches National Park.  Canyonlands National Park covers 337,598 acres of canyons, mesas, buttes, fins, arches, spires, and stretches of the Green River and Colorado River, in southeast Utah.

We woke up really early in Moab one morning and hit the road by 8:00am, hoping to get a free campsite at the Willow Flat Campground in Canyonlands National Park. There are only 12 sites in Willow Flat Campground, but we were lucky enough to snag a campsite just as the previous night’s occupants were packing up and moving on. Willow Flat Campground is the only developed campground in Canyonlands National Park, and was located about seven miles from the paved road entrance to the park. It is quite basic – no water, no showers, no RV hookup, and no RV dump, but despite these limitations, we loved the campground. It seemed like each campsite, separated by juniper bushes and pinyon pines, had a great view and since there were only 12 sites, it was very quiet. The sites were nicely spaced out, especially since we were coming from the sardine can-like conditions of the commercial RV campground in Moab.

Willow Flat Campground costs only $10 per night, and are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Since we visited in May and it wasn’t yet in the high season, we were able to get a site.The campground had pit toilets that had grates installed on the side of the building, so that a breeze would blow through and keep the pit toilet itself well-aired. And since the desert is so dry and there were only a few campsites, the pit toilets did not smell at all! Prepared for the

We spent our afternoon rest period reading books in our camp chairs. However, I was more entertained by watching the wildlife: rabbits, scrub jays, ravens, Townsend’s warbler, and juniper titmouse (titmice?).

Canyonlands National Park is less popular and developed than Arches National Park, so there is not a lot of parking available at the visitor centre, trailheads, or view points. However, they only charge a $10 entrance fee, which is good for a week.

In May, it wasn’t yet too hot in the desert, but there were signs reminding all the hikers to stay hydrated. Since the only available water pump was at the visitor centre from March to October, it is very important that campers carry a good supply of water.

My parents and I started with the easy trail to Murphy Point Overlook.

The great view from Murphy Point Overlook.

I loved trying to spot lizards sunning themselves on rocks.

Most trails do not have signs; hikers need to follow the cairns to find their way.

After hiking to Murphy Point Overlook, it began to drizzle.

Canyonlands National Park is divided into three areas: Island in the Sky on the north, The Maze on the west, and The Needles on the east. Island in the Sky, which is the only part of the park that we visited, has a lot of easy hikes along the top of a mesa, or difficult hikes down into the surrounding canyons to the Green River or Colorado River. Island in the Sky is accessible by a paved road and has access to a visitor centre, and has around 40,000 visitors per year.

The Needles is accessible by a paved road several miles to the southeast and also has a visitor centre, drinking water, and Squaw Flat campground. There are several strenuous hikes down through several canyons. It is less popular, with around 20,000 visitors per year. The Needles is characterized by multicoloured and striped needle-like rock formations and spires. I would love to spend more time here next time I visit.

The Maze, the western part of the park, is not accessible by paved road. If you want to go here, be prepared to hike in. It has several primitive campsites but little other amenities. It is still very wild and undeveloped, with not a lot of trails. Thus, it only gets about 520 visitors per year.

Here you can see the White Rim, which is 1200 feet below the Island in the Sky mesa, but another 1000 feet to the rivers below. Beyond are the other two districts of Canyonlands National Park. There are three trails along the White Rim Road, and we were able to see some 4x4s driving down there. I would love to do this next time!

Next, we hiked the 1.0 mile trail to Grand View Point at the southernmost paved area of Island in the Sky, where we enjoyed a panoramic view along the cliff edge.

The vistas are so breathtaking, both for the natural beauty as well as the steep drop-offs!

Our next hike was to Mesa Arch, an arch on the cliff edge through which sunrises are supposed to be spectacular. We visited later in the day, but it was no less beautiful.

In the distance, you can see the Washer Woman rock formation. From this vantage point, we could also see the snow-capped La Sal Mountains.

The next day, we hiked the moderate trail to Aztec Butte, where we climbed steep slickrock to the top of one of these mounds. It doesn’t look so steep, but there is a 250 ft elevation gain over a very short distance. We were certainly huffing and puffing! You can’t see it here, but there are old granaries hidden on the butte. The hike starts off through some grassland to reach these formations, and then you climb the slickrock, following cairns and trying not to slip.

Underneath the rim of the butte are two ancient Puebloan granaries which were used to store grain. It is remarkable that they lasted so long!

Climbing to the top was not a great accomplishment, but it felt very rewarding.

Stopping to take in the view.

Simple cairns mark the trails, and are much more pleasing to the eye than any signpost.

On top of the butte are the remains of another Puebloan structure.

Next, my parents and hiked to the first and second overlooks of Upheaval Dome, possibly one of the oddest geological formations on Island in the Sky. It is 1,500 feet deep crater and geologists are not sure how it was formed; perhaps it is the remains of a meteor hit.

We followed steps carved into the slickrock.

At the first overlook, interpretive displays discuss the Upheaval Dome formation. We found that the hike to the first overlook wasn’t long enough to count as a morning hike, so we hiked a further mile to and from the second overlook.

While my mom and I lay on the rock to have a rest in the sun, my dad climbed to the top of this slickrock to take in the views.

While my dad had a nap in our campervan, my mom and I decided that our next hike would be the moderate trail that climbed up Whale Rock, so named because the rock looks like a giant beached whale. The round trip hike only took an hour, but we spent a good 30 minutes on top, sitting in the sun and taking in the views. The hike follows the back of the ‘whale,’ but hikers need to take care along the steep drop-offs along the sides.

After a second day of hikes, my parents and I returned to our campsite and prepared dinner. The campsites have firepits and these great covers over the picnic tables, to shield campers from the hot sun during the summer season.

My family only spent a couple days on Island in the Sky in Canyonlands National Park; we missed out on The Needles and The Maze, as well as the wilder trails along the White Rim Road, so definitely need to come back!