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Canyonlands National Park

Canyonlands National Park

Moab, UT

Canyonlands National Park

Cataract Canyon Ruins - Moab, UT - Mild to Wild

Canyonlands National Park is a profoundly immersive, completely dwarfing gem of a landscape far from a single bar of cell service. This realm of desert displays cliffs, crevices, and colossal sculptures that constantly pose the question to Mother Nature; What in the good name of geology have you done here?! 

To say Canyonlands is a mammoth of a natural playground is … actually astute, it’s quite large. To avoid any overwhelming emotions that may plague the planning traveler, this guide lays out the top places to visit depending on the amount of time available, along with Utah’s climate, where to pitch your tent and some insider’s tips for the best ways to experience the park.

Camping in Island in the Sky District

  • Willow Flat has tent and RV spots near the Green River overlook. There are vault toilets but no hookups, potable water, or reservations for the 12 sites here. Each camp has a fire pit and covered picnic table that start at $15 a night.

Backcountry Sites

  • White Rim Road is a 100-mile loop that requires high clearance 4WD vehicles to venture the nitty-gritty. There are 10 backcountry vehicle camping areas with 20 sites all told. The camping areas do not have potable water and campfires are not allowed. Each camping area comes with vault toilets. Overnight or day trips on White Rim require a permit
  • There isn’t a campsite on this loop that won’t rock your world, but Potato Bottom and Hardscrabble come with some pretty rare, five-star shade from pretty cottonwoods.

Camping in the Needles District

  • Squaw Flat sports 26 individual sites and 3 group sites for posses of 11 people or more. Up to 12 sites are reservable. The camps come with fire pits and picnic tables, and the grounds provide vault and flushing toilets, and seasonal potable water. RVs are welcome but there are no hookups, the standard campsite fee is $20 a night.

Backcountry Sites

  • Because of the district’s popularity for backpackers, many camps are in the designated sites. Something to duly note; Not all vehicle camping areas have toilets, so human waste needs to be packed out (using wag bags, portable toilets, etc.).
  • The most maze-like and shaded vehicle camp area is Devil’s Kitchen— it’s literally so much cooler pitching your tent inside a boulder’s arc. For backpacking at-large zones, Salt Creek offers glistening washes with a slew wildlife and of rock art panels.

Camping in The Maze District

Backcountry Sites

  • To get into the remote righteousness of the Maze, you must have a high clearance 4WD vehicle. There are no toilets in this district (bring your own), and campfires are not allowed.
  • The Happy Canyon vehicle campsite is right next to a narrow swirling slot canyon many have probably seen in photographs.
  • The Maze district is pretty much one big backpacking at-large camping zone. Between Horse Canyon and South Fork, backpackers can discover a picturesque formation known as Abbey’s Triple Flush.