Day 8 – Canyonlands National Park

View through Mesa Arch

We spent last night in Moab, UT, and it was our second time at the same Hampton. We were here in 2010 when we visited Arches NP, but this time we came to see Canyonlands. The entrances to the park are only about 5 miles apart, but they are completely different in what you see. Arches is all rock formations while Canyonlands is a high mesa overlooking two rivers which meet in the park. On the east is the Colorado and on the west is the Green. They converge at the southern end of the park and of course the Colorado continues down into Arizona where it formed the Grand Canyon. The effect is similar in Canyonlands with magnificent canyons on either side.

Buck Canyon Overlook

The park is actually split into several sections, but we visited the “Island in the Sky” section which is the most accessible. The other parts are either off-road or backpacking. Instead of being descriptive about the park, I’ll just let the photos do the talking. I will just add that it’s also worthwhile driving to Dead Horse Point State Park while you are at Canyonlands. It’s not part of Canyonlands, which is a federal park, so there is a separate entrance fee for the state park but it has a stunning view of a bend in the Colorado River. I don’t think you can actually see much of the Colorado from Canyonlands as it is very deep in the canyons there. 

Grand View Point Overlook

Green River Overlook

Dead Horse Point Overlook