Canyonlands Island in the Sky: A Day of Epic Panoramas

The state of Utah is without question a fascinating place and a favorite among outdoor enthusiasts. Home to five national parks and countless canyons, mountains, and unique rock formations, it attracts visitors from around the globe. When we started planning our family road trip to Arizona and Utah, I was very excited to discover what’s out there. As I studied the map, I came across Island in the Sky in Canyonlands National Park. Hmm, this would be the perfect opportunity to discover a new place, I thought! Hubby didn’t have any objections, so we added it to our itinerary. It made perfect sense to check it out since it wasn’t far from Arches National Park, which we definitely wanted to see.

One Amazing Day at Island in the Sky in Canyonlands

On the morning of our visit to Island in the Sky, we started out with a lovely breakfast in Moab, Utah. It’s a great place to stay if you are visiting the area, since it’s located only about 6 miles from Arches National Park and about 30 miles from Canyonlands Island in the Sky.

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Where to Stay: Click HERE to see the highest-rated accommodations near Canyonlands Island in the Sky on Booking.com. We have filtered out the lower-rated ones for you! Booking.com is our favorite website for finding great places to stay all over the world!

Tip: The town of Moab is an excellent base because it’s located close to both Canyonlands Island in the Sky and Arches National Park.

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Stop at Canyonlands Island in the Sky Visitor Center

After breakfast, we made our way to the Visitor Center, picked up a map and Junior Ranger booklets for the kids, and spoke to the park rangers. Admittedly, this was the first time we learned that Canyonlands National Park consists of two regions, Island in the Sky and the Needles District, and they are not at all close to each other. Sadly, this meant that we couldn’t see them both in one day, but one day was all we had. Fortunately, we were in the more popular region, Island in the Sky, the place to be if you are new to the park.

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Tip: To follow along, click HERE for a map of Island in the Sky from the National Park Service.

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First Impressions

When we exited the Visitor Center, we noticed that there was an overlook right across the road. This is where we got our first glimpse of the unique landscape all around.

It was a spine-chilling overlook near a drop off where a vast desert panorama emerged before our eyes. We could see a narrow dirt road winding near the edge of vertical cliffs and mesas off in the distance. The road was Shafer Trail Road, and it looked like the drive from an adventure movie scene. Unfortunately, we didn’t have a 4-wheel-drive vehicle, nor the time to take on this adventure.

Explore the Main Park Road Backwards…or Not

When we got back to the car, we looked at the map, and had an interesting idea: Drive south all the way to the end of the main road, and start exploring at Grand View Point Overlook. Getting to know the park from the furthest point backwards seemed like something that could work well.

Grand View Point Overlook

After driving for a while and resisting the temptation to stop, we finally arrived at Grand View Point Overlook. All of us jumped out of the car and began walking towards the edge of a cliff, looking for the view. Suddenly, we were staring at a vast space down below, where a series of narrow gorges and spires formed a unique landscape.

There was also a dirt road circling around, providing a way to see it all up close. It was a place so fascinating, yet so isolated that I couldn’t imagine anyone ever driving down there. Just then, we spotted a single vehicle moving along the dirt road, and it was almost as surreal as seeing a ghost!

The dirt road we were looking at was White Rim Road, one of the top recommended experiences in the park. So, if you have a 4-wheel-drive vehicle and some extra time, by all means, go for it!

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Grand View Point Trail: If you have time, take this trail. It’s an easy hike, 2.0 miles round trip, near the edge of cliffs, with spectacular views of the desert below.

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Orange Cliffs Overlook

After we walked around for a bit longer, we got in the car, and started making our way back. We didn’t drive far before we pulled over for a short stop at Orange Cliffs Overlook. There, we saw some pretty impressive cliffs rising from the desert, and they were in fact orange, like the rest of the park. 🙂

White Rim Overlook Trail

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White Rim Overlook Trail: easy, unpaved path leading to beautiful views, 1.8 miles round trip.

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Our next stop was the Gooseberry/White Rim Overlook Trailhead. The park rangers at the Visitor Center had specifically recommended the White Rim Overlook Trail, so here we were. It sounded like a short and easy hike with great views.

Great Views and Rocks

We started walking on the trail, and found it to be very enjoyable. It was a fairly leveled, unpaved path with really interesting red rocks along the way. The kiddos were thrilled, and they used every opportunity to climb up and jump off those rocks.

After walking for less than a mile, we arrived near the edge of a cliff, where an infinite desert panorama greeted us again. We stepped on a large rock, perched near the edge of the cliff, and took some time to absorb this expansive view!

When I felt I had taken enough photos, we all walked back to the car. It was around lunchtime, so we had our peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and washed them down with lukewarm water from our backpacks.

Buck Canyon Overlook

Our next stop up the main park road was Buck Canyon Overlook, another desolate panorama of gorges, mesas, and buttes that seemed to go on forever.

Candlestick Tower Overlook

A little further up the road, we pulled over at Candlestick Tower Overlook. The name describes perfectly what we saw here. There was a rock tower standing in the desert vastness that did resemble a candlestick, or perhaps a candle holder.

Mesa Arch is a Must

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Mesa Arch Trail: easy unpaved path leading to the iconic Mesa Arch, 0.5 miles round trip.

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We continued driving up the main road until we arrived to the Mesa Arch Trailhead. This was one trail we had to hike, since it led to the park’s most famous feature.

As we started walking on the path, we noticed dark clouds moving in the area. Then a few minutes later, it began to drizzle. Fortunately, the rain stopped pretty quickly, and a few rays of sunshine peeked through the clouds.

The trail to Mesa Arch was a fairly easy, unpaved path, which led us very quickly to the park’s most iconic attraction. The view we discovered there was magnificent! The arch framed a distant desert where more spires, buttes, mesas, and gorges dominated the landscape. The rays of sunshine illuminated some of the rock formations, bringing up their brown-red hues. Others remained in the shadows, making the scenery appear more mysterious. We admired the view for a while, then followed the trail, which looped around and back to the parking area.

West at the “Y” Intersection

When we got back in the car, hubby and I looked at the park map, and decided to drive to the nearby “Y” intersection. We hadn’t yet explored the road leading northwest towards Upheaval Dome, so we headed that way.

Green River Overlook

We made our turn, then followed a short side road to Green River Overlook. This was yet another fantastic viewpoint where the only sign of life was the Green River flowing through the desolate land.

Whale Rock and Upheaval Dome

By this time, it was getting later in the afternoon, so we knew that we probably would not have time for more hiking. We still decided to drive to the end of the road and reach Upheaval Dome. On the way there, we made a short stop at Whale Rock, a massive sandstone formation that somewhat resembles a whale. Unfortunately, we did not have time to hike the trail and climb to the top, but we did pull over to look at it from the parking area.

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Whale Rock Trail: You can climb to the top of Whale Rock, and check out the great views up there. This is a moderate hike, 1.0 mile round trip.

Upheaval Dome Trail: If you have time, hike to Upheaval Dome and enjoy the amazing rock formation from two overlooks along the way. It’s a moderate hike, 2.0 miles round trip. 

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From Whale Rock, we continued to the end of the road, where the fairly popular trail to Upheaval Dome begins. We had to also skip this hike since it was getting pretty late in the day. It’s just another reason to come back to Island in the Sky!

Holeman Spring Canyon Overlook

At Upheaval Dome, we turned around and started driving back towards the “Y” intersection. We made one more stop along this road, at Holeman Spring Canyon Overlook. There, the late afternoon sunrays were glaring through the clouds, illuminating the unique land forms of the desert below. It truly felt like we were on another planet!!

Back to the Main Park Road

After admiring the views for a little while, we continued driving and soon got back to the “Y” intersection. There we headed back towards the Visitor Center and the park exit.

Shafer Canyon Overlook

Our final stop for the day was at Shafer Canyon Overlook. From here, we could see not only the canyon, but also the narrow Shafer Trail Road zigzagging towards the desert below.

Dinner in Moab, Utah

After spending a little more time at Shafer Canyon Overlook, we headed towards the park exit. We did stop at the Visitor Center since our kids had completed the booklets and were all excited to receive their Junior Ranger badges.

Our Canyonlands Island in the Sky adventures ended with a relaxing dinner in Moab at Pasta Jay’s. There are many great restaurants in town, but our kids demanded pizza, of course! It turned out to be a very nice place, and we all enjoyed it thoroughly.

Visit Canyonlands Island in the Sky!

If you are ever in the area, definitely consider adding Canyonlands National Park, Island in the Sky to your itinerary. It’s truly a unique place that will leave you with a lasting impression. You are sure to discover greatness and beauty even in this most extreme environment! Combine Island in the Sky with Arches Nation Park, and you are in for an amazing adventure!

Disclaimer

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Resources to Help Plan Your Island in the Sky Adventure

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• The Official National Park Service Canyonlands Website – Stop by to find the latest information about the park including maps, alerts, hikes, camping, and much more.
• Canyonlands Island in the Sky PDF Map – A PDF map of Island in the Sky from the National Park Service website. You can print it before your visit, and locate all the points of interest you are planning to see.
• Canyonlands National Park Hiking Trails – Stop by this page from the official National Park Service Canyonlands website to see specifications about all the hiking trails in the park.
• Discover Moab, Utah – This is the city of Moab Utah’s Official Vacation Planning website. If you are planning to spend more time in the area, check it out for information on all the fun activities around.

Note: Unless otherwise indicated, all photos in this post were taken by me (Vessy) with my Nikon D3100 camera, and iPhone 6. All images in this post are subject to copyright. Please contact us if you would like to use any of them!

This trip took place on August 16, 2016.

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