"Canyonlands, Island in the Sky District " a Canyonlands National Park Travel Page by windsorgirl

Canyonlands National Park is divided by the Green and Colorado Rivers into three districts. They are called The Maze, The Needles and Island in the Sky. We visited Island in the Sky as it is located very close to Moab.

Island in the Sky is the northernmost district and is a huge level mesa towering 1000 feet above the sculpted canyons and twisting rivers below. It really does feel as if you are on an island, except that you are not surrounded by water, but by the beautiful landscapes instead.

The Island in the Sky district is located in southeastern Utah, 36 miles west of Moab. Take hwy 191 north to hwy 313 west. En route you will pass Dead Horse Point State Park. It is easy to combine a visit to both these parks in the same day.

Canyonlands NP is open year round and admission is $10 per vehicle for one week or you can use your National Parks Pass which is good at all National Parks, costs $50 and is good for a year.

There is a Visitors Center, campground and hiking trails here. There are also many miles of road to be explored if you have a 4 wheel drive vehicle or join a tour that you can arrange in Moab.

This National Park was stop number eight on our 16 day driving tour through southwestern USA. We began our trip in Las Vegas where we picked up a rental and headed southeast through Arizona then headed north up to Moab. We spent 3 days in Moab, including a half day here at Canyonlands enjoying some easy hikes and splendid views.

After Moab, we headed southwest to Bryce and Zion Canyons before returning to Vegas for our flight home.