Campers in Canyonlands National Park in Utah have their choice of two established campsites and innumerable backcountry options with access to hiking and biking trails through wind-carved and eroded spires, arches, mesas, canyons of the desert landscape.
Fundamentals
Canyonlands National Park encompasses more than 330,000 acres of the vast Colorado Plateau of southeastern Utah as well as the Colorado and Green rivers and smaller streams. The U.S. Park Service divided the park into four distinct management zones: Island in the Sky, Needles, the Maze and the rivers themselves.
Campgrounds that accommodate recreational vehicles or trailers as well as tents have been established in the Needles and Island in the Sky districts, according to the Park Service website. All campers must obtain permits to use the sites.
Campgrounds
Squaw Flat Campground in the Needles district includes 26 sites with fire grates, picnic tables, and tent pads, according to the Canyonlands National Park website. Water and bathrooms operate year-round. The popular campsite fills quickly in spring and fall. Squaw Flat offers access to popular day hikes including Druid Arch and Chesler Park.
Willow Flat Campground in the Island in the Sky includes 12 sites with picnic tables, fire grates and vault toilets, but no water. It also fills quickly in spring and fall because of its proximity to Green River Overlook, a popular spot to watch the sun set.
Trail Access
Hundreds of miles of trails meander through the Island in the Sky and Needles areas, providing opportunities for day hikes from the campgrounds in both districts. The remote Maze area lends itself to overnight or multi-day backpacking.
Bicycling campers can use Squaw Flat as a base for riding the popular 100-mile White Rim Road. Trails in the Needles area may be too sandy or wet for mountain bike use, according to the park website.
The Park Service marks trails with small rock piles known as cairns and posts signs where trails meet, but remote trails may not be fully marked, according to the Canyonlands National Park website. The Park Service recommends all backcountry campers, hikers and bikers carry topographic maps.
Backcountry Camping
The Park Service requires permits for backpacking and camping in the backcountry. Heavily-used areas such as the Needles have designated backcountry camping areas. Backpackers in more remote areas such as the Maze district can set up camp wherever they choose.
Water is scarce or heavily silted in streams throughout the park. The Canyonlands National Park Camping Guide recommends carrying at least one gallon of water for each day in the backcountry and repeatedly filtering any water taken from streams.
Considerations
The Canyonlands National Park Camping Guide recommends all backcountry campers check in at a visitor center and talk to rangers about trail conditions and water availability before undertaking an overnight trip in the backcountry.
Campers should be prepared for wide swings in temperature in the desert. Summer temperatures in the park often reach 100 degrees Fahrenheit or higher with nighttime temperatures falling to 60 degrees or lower. Winter temperatures can reach highs in the 50s, but fall well below freezing at night with occasional snowstorms, according to the park website.
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