The Best Easy Hikes in Canyonlands National Park

Short trails, big views: the walks worth doing in a day

By Chris Hayworth, Nestward

Canyonlands is a wilderness of canyons, buttes, and spires carved by the Colorado and Green rivers, and a lot of it is genuinely hard to reach. But the good news is the most jaw-dropping overlooks here are some of the shortest walks. You don't need to backpack The Maze to get the postcard. You just need the right trailhead and a half hour.

Start at Island in the Sky, which has the best short hikes

The park splits into four districts and no roads connect them, so pick one and stay there. For easy hikes with maximum payoff, that's Island in the Sky, about 40 minutes from Moab via UT 313. It sits on a high mesa, which means the views start at the parking lot and the trails are mostly flat. A few to do, shortest to longest:

• Mesa Arch, 0.5 mi loop, easy. The famous one. A nearly level loop to a cliff-edge arch that frames the canyon country beyond. Ten minutes of walking for a view people fly across the country to see. It's also a sunrise photographer magnet, so go early or go midday when the crowd thins.
• Grand View Point, 1.8 mi round trip, easy. Flat trail along the canyon rim to the southern tip of the mesa. Arguably the single best overlook in the park, and the walk is gentle enough for most kids. Turn around any time. The views barely change.
• Whale Rock, 1 mi round trip, easy-moderate. A short scramble up a slickrock dome near Upheaval Dome. There's some slope and exposed rock, but it's quick and fun for older kids who like to climb.

The Needles district, if you want fewer people

The Needles is in the park's southeast corner, about 90 minutes from Moab or an hour from Monticello via UT 211. It's farther, but quieter, and the rock is the star: pinnacles of striped Cedar Mesa Sandstone everywhere you look. Good easy options:

• Pothole Point, 0.6 mi loop, easy. A short slickrock loop across shallow rock basins that fill with water after rain and briefly come alive with tiny desert creatures. Little shade, so go early or late.
• Cave Spring, 0.6 mi loop, easy-moderate. A loop past an old cowboy camp and ancient rock art, with two short ladders to climb. Kids tend to love the ladders. It's the most "story" packed into the least distance in the whole park.

When to go, and the heat warning that actually matters

Canyonlands is high desert on the Colorado Plateau, and temperatures swing wildly, sometimes more than 40 degrees in a single day. The sweet spots are spring (April–May) and fall (mid-September–October), when highs run 60–80°F. Summer regularly tops 100°F, and the park itself says strenuous exercise becomes difficult; even "easy" slickrock with no shade gets brutal by midday. Winters are cold but doable, with highs in the 30s–50s and quiet trails.

Practical notes: the park is open 24 hours year-round, entrance is $30 per vehicle (good for 7 days), and there's very little water or shade out here. Carry far more water than feels reasonable, and don't count on cell service.

Hiking with kids: keep it short and rim-focused

The rim trails at Island in the Sky are ideal for families because the reward is immediate and the walking is flat. Stack Mesa Arch and Grand View Point in one morning and you've got two world-class overlooks before lunch with barely two miles of total walking. Cave Spring's ladders and Whale Rock's slickrock give antsy kids something to do with their hands. And every district runs the Junior Ranger Program. Grab a booklet at a visitor center and the hike becomes a scavenger hunt.

A note on dogs

Be honest with yourself before you bring the dog: Canyonlands does not allow pets on any trails, in the backcountry, or off established roads. Dogs are limited to paved and dirt roads, campgrounds, and parking areas, and they must stay leashed. That rules out every hike on this page. If you're traveling with a dog, plan to leave them at home or arrange a sitter in Moab; a hot car in the desert is not an option.