Canyonlands National Park Active and Adventure Travel Guide

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Aerial view of the Colorado River in Canyonlands National Park, Utah

The Colorado River flows through Canyonlands National Park, Utah (Robert Glusic/Corbis)

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Canyonlands National Park Active and Adventure Travel Tips

By Bill Weir

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.
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.
Dramatic vistas await bikers at every turn on White Rim Road’s 100-mile length as it wraps around the Island in the Sky.
Almost any shallow-draft boat can navigate the Green and Colorado Rivers above their confluence. Boaters typically do 20 miles a day in canoes or kayaks and 15 miles a day in rafts.
The serious whitewater and remoteness of Cataract Canyon require big-water skills and equipment. Private groups will have the best chance of obtaining a permit by planning well ahead.

Canyonlands National Park Overview

In the far southern reaches of Utah, the Colorado and Green Rivers carve the high desert into a labyrinth of red-rock canyons that are sheer ecstasy for the hiker, mountain biker, and whitewater adventurer. The park is broken into three distinct districts—Island in the Sky, The Needles, and The Maze. The vast landscape offers hundred-mile vistas of rust-colored pinnacles, high mesas, sculpted buttes, sandstone spires, and sheer crimson cliffs. Read More

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1 Questions | 1 Answers

Hi my name is Trey. My friend, Ryan, and I will be flying into Salt Lake on June 8 and in Utah until June 16. One of the things that we would like to do, if possible, is canoe down a slow, easy to navigate river and perhaps stop and camp a couple of nights along the way. Is this possible? We'd like to do it on our own, or is it required that we go with a group and/or a guide?
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Hotels

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Sorrel River Ranch Resort

P.O. Box K
Moab, UT 84532 Map

Distance: 29.3 mi.
(from destination center)

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Expert Rated & Recommended

Red Cliffs Lodge

Best Resorts & Lodges

Mile Post 14 Hwy 128
Moab, UT 84532 Map

Distance: 42.3 mi.
(from destination center)

Hotel Class: Not Yet Rated

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White Rim Road Campsites

Canyonlands National Park, 2282 SW Resource Blvd.
Moab, UT 84532 Map

Distance: 19.9 mi.
(from destination center)

Hotel Class: Not Yet Rated

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Attractions

Island in the Sky District

Canyonlands National Park
2282 SW Resource Blvd.
Moab, Utah 84532

Distance: 28.5 mi. (from destination center)

Description:

The Colorado and Green Rivers form the boundaries of Island in the Sky District. It's in the... Read More

Expert Rated & Recommended

Maze District

Canyonlands National Park
2282 SW Resource Blvd.
Moab, Utah 84532

Distance: 28.5 mi. (from destination center)

Description: This rugged land of sandstone fins and "mazes" of canyons has purposely been left as a remote and... Read More

Expert Rated & Recommended

Needles District

Canyonlands National Park
2282 SW Resource Blvd.
Moab, Utah 84532

Distance: 28.5 mi. (from destination center)

Description: The Needles District of the park lies to the east of the Colorado River and has some of the... Read More

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Airports

Major Airports near Canyonlands National Park

	Distance (mi.)
Salt Lake City International Airport	216.2 map
Colorado Springs Municipal Airport	276.0 map
Albuquerque International Airport	277.6 map

Other Smaller Airports near Canyonlands National Park

	Distance (mi.)
Moab Canyonlands Field	41.4 map
Cortez Montezuma County Airport	84.8 map
Grand Junction Walker Field	93.4 map

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Flight Deals to Canyonlands National Park

Originating	From
Denver (DEN) to Salt Lake City (SLC)	$106
Las Vegas (LAS) to Salt Lake City (SLC)	$140
San Diego (SAN) to Salt Lake City (SLC)	$157
Kansas City (MKC) to Salt Lake City (SLC)	$168
Oakland (OAK) to Salt Lake City (SLC)	$177

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Feature Articles

Wild Wild West
outside
TRIBUTARIES OF THE COLORADO: Green River, Cataract Canyon, and San Juan River
Heyduke Hike
outside
An 812-mile effort to revive the spirit, if not the tactics, of the West's most notorious monkey-wrencher
Canyonlands
outside
High-Desert Surf 'n' Turf in Utah
GORP - Canyonlands National Park, Utah - Hiking trails, Hike, backpacking, trekking, trails
gorp
GORP - Canyonlands National Park, Utah - River Trips, adventure, travel, outddor recreation
gorp

More Canyonlands National Park Active and Adventure Feature Articles (8) »

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Trip Ideas

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GORPtravel Adventure Trips & Guided Tours

Canyonlands-Arches Multi-Sport
The World Outdoors
from $1598, 6 days
Prepare for the ultimate adventure getaway of non-stop excitement. Set in the heart of southeast Utah's dramatic Canyon Country, this multi-sport...
White Rim Trail / Cataract Canyon Bike & Raft
Holiday Expeditions
from $1395, 7 days
The ride that has become the standard against which all other mountain bike rides are judged - The White Rim. ...
Colorado River Jetboat Adventure - 1 Day
Moab Adventure Center
from $70, 1 days
This 4-hour jetboat excursion takes you into spectacular river scenery bordering Canyonlands National Park. The newest and best-equipped boats are...
Canyonlands-Escalante Hiker
The World Outdoors
from $2598, 6 days
Forming a bizarre and surreal landscape, the canyons of Utah's Color Country make up one of the West's most fascinating geologic wonderlands....
Ultimate Southwest Adventure Vacation
O.A.R.S
from $2668, 6 days
Spend four days rafting and hiking through glorious Cataract Canyon on the Colorado River in Utah, then check in at Southern Utah's only 4-diamond property, the Sorrel River Ranch Resort for the ultimate southwest vacation adventure in the U.S.! ......