How do we know these are the best short hikes and overlooks for a day at Canyonlands National Park? Well, a Canyonlands Park Ranger told us. Not only did he help us see the best sites, but he also advised us the best times to escape the crowds. Now, we are excited to share what we learned.
At 527.5 square miles, the Canyonlands National Park is massive. The park is divided into three sections: Island in the Sky, the Needles, and the Maze. Island in the Sky is the most accessible for standard vehicles. It’s also the best place to start as a first time visitor.
This post works as a day trip itinerary with the best short hikes for first-time visitors to the Canyonlands National Park, Island in the Sky district. All the short hikes in our Canyonlands itinerary are easy to moderate.
We stayed at the park from sunrise to sunset. Though, a lot of our time went into taking photos. You may not need as long. If you do have extra time, we added a few extra suggested hikes at the bottom.