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The Needles District
Pinnacles of rock jut sharply out from the ground in The Needles District of Canyonlands National Park. This jumbled collection of unique rock formations creates an environment that is incredibly diverse and spectacular, providing some of the most unique and fun outdoor adventures available in a national park. Embrace the wildness of the area and its truly Western feel as you hike and explore through The Needles.
Getting Here
The turnoff to the Needles District is located about 40 miles south of Moab, Utah, and 15 miles north of Monticello, Utah. Take Highway 191 until reaching this turnoff (Highway 211 West). Travel along Highway 211 for another 35 miles or so before entering The Needles District of Canyonlands National Park. The total distance traveled from Moab is about 75 miles and takes approximately 1.5 hours.
9. Elephant Hill
A series of incredible trails start at the Elephant Hill Trailhead, making this a great place to get out and explore. Hiking among the stunning rock formations that give this district its name will likely be the highlight of your trip to The Needles.
What You Need to Know
Trail conditions out here are primitive, and water is often non-existent, so be prepared for a hiking adventure unlike any other!
The access road to Elephant Hill is dirt and extremely narrow, with several blind curves. Don’t expect to get anywhere fast, and be sure to be alert and attentive. 4-wheel drive is not required to reach the trailhead, and the road conditions are generally fine. The parking area has a pit toilet and a few picnic tables but no water. From here, the road continues and is only for 4-wheel drive vehicles. Look for the trail sign to the left of the road heading up the hill to begin your hike.
This “trail” is mainly slickrock, meaning that often there is not a defined and obvious route. Much of the journey will require some route-finding via cairns (stacks of rocks). It can be easy to get lost if you are not paying attention to your surroundings. Do not create or break any cairns — these are the only way for people to navigate this trail safely.
A short and narrow slot between two rocks is encountered about 1.5 miles into the hike, and 2 miles in, you will reach the wash that travels into Elephant Canyon or Chesler Park. Either of these places would be a great place to turn around for a short and enjoyable hike into The Needles.
You can hike as far as you’d like. We love hiking all the way to Druid Arch, which is 11 miles roundtrip, but the views are truly spectacular, even from the very beginning of the trail. Chesler Park is also an amazing hike you can do from Elephant Hill.
Pets are not permitted on this trail.
Getting Here
From The Needles Visitor Center, travel about 3.5 miles toward the Squaw Flat Campground. Follow the signs to Elephant Hill and drive 3 miles along the dirt road to access the trailhead.
10. Pothole Point Trail
Enjoy dramatic views of the Needles as you take a stroll along the Pothole Point Trail. You’ll learn more about what a pothole formation is — you may even discover some tiny creatures along the way!
What You Need to Know
The Pothole Point Trail is a 0.6-mile loop with only a few feet of elevation gain, and it’s a great way to soak in the beauty of the Needles without too much effort.
If you visit in the spring or after a rainstorm, the potholes along this route may have water in them. If there’s water, be sure to take some time to search for creatures (but please don’t disturb them — the desert is a harsh place to live)!
Pets are not permitted on this trail.
If you’ll be spending a few days in the Needles or are hoping for a longer trail, check out the Slickrock Trail nearby.
Getting Here
From the Needles Visitor Center, drive along the main park road for 5 miles until you see the Pothole Point Trailhead on your left.
11. Roadside Ruin
Just a short stroll away from the main road, an ancestral Puebloan granary has been hiding beneath a cliff for hundreds of years. These natives were primarily farmers who depended on such structures to protect the corn, seeds, and nuts that were cultivated throughout the growing season each year. This particular granary is incredibly well-preserved and provides a glimpse into the life of those who called this area home.
What You Need to Know
The trail to the granary is a short and easy 0.3-mile loop. Little shade exists along the way, and no water is available at the trailhead. A pamphlet that explains the trail’s ten interpretive stops is available at the beginning of the hike, and traveling counter-clockwise around the loop is recommended.
Pets are not permitted on this hike.
Getting Here
The trail to the Roadside Ruin is the first one you will encounter after leaving The Needles Visitor Center. A small pullout and sign mark the beginning of the loop.
12. Cave Spring
In a harsh and unforgiving desert landscape, the inhabitants of the Canyonlands area had to find ways to adapt and thrive in the area. View remnants of the ranching operations, as well as some ancient pictographs and smoke tarnish from the ancestral Puebloans that relied on this spring for hundreds of years.
What You Need to Know
Cave Spring was a constant water source first for the Native Americans and then for the cattle ranchers that lived nearby.
This trail is a 0.6-mile loop that provides fun and adventure for explorers of all ages! After traveling underneath the nice and shady alcoves to see the spring, the trail continues up two ladders to a great viewpoint of The Needles. From here, hike along the slickrock (following the cairns) back to the trailhead. The best and easiest way to hike this trail is to take a left at the fork and travel the loop clockwise.
Pets are not permitted on this trail.
Getting Here
From The Needles Visitor Center, drive 0.9 miles and take a left onto the road that points to Salt Creek. After another 0.5 miles, take another left onto a dirt road and follow the road for approximately 1 mile until reaching the trailhead to Cave Spring.
Have a fabulous time in Canyonlands National Park. Happy trails!
Arches National Park is right next door to Canyonlands. Click NEXT to see the things you can’t miss in Arches.
Ash,
You have been my “guide” for countless trip. I have purchased itineraries for Yellowstone, Glacier, RMNP, Grand Canyon, Arches, Zion, Yosemite, Bryce Canyon and I have used your “Can’t Miss” lists for Badlands, Mt. Rushmore, Kings Canyon and Sequoia. I appreciate the work you do so very much. We are planning to visit Canyonlands this summer and only have one day. I have read through the comments on your must see list, and it seems that we should concentrate our time in the Islands in the Sky section of the park. Is that correct, and if so, can we accomplish the “Can’t Miss” spots on that list from that section of the park in one day?
Hey Kathleen! I just emailed you back :)
Do you have an itinerary for Canyonlands?
I don’t at this time, but thanks for asking!
Hi, Ash. I’ve “traveled with you” via your itineraries to Glacier, Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Zion, Bryce, Acadia, Grand Canyon, and soon-to-be Arches National Parks in October. Your suggestions for hikes, routes, lodging, and dining are always spot on!
That being said, do you have a suggested order for the above mentioned “Must Sees” for Canyonlands National Park?
Many thanks,
Patricia Huff
Hey Patricia! Contact me here so I can give you a more detailed answer to that question :)
I loved reading about your experience in Canyonlands. Your descriptions really made it come alive for me. Happy travels!
Thank you!
Hi Ash,
What a great site, so much useful info. Using it for a couple stops on our August trip. I had one day set for Canyonlands, with Dead Horse West Rim at the end. I was going to do Eye In the Sky, but your post on Elephant Hill in Needles looks so good. Is it too much of a stretch to do part of that hike in the morning, and then do Dead Horse around sunset, maybe something easier in-between?
It’s quite a drive out to the Needles. If it’s your first time to Canyonlands and you only have one day, I’d stick with Island in the Sky. There are some fabulous options in that part of the park, and you’ll be much closer to Dead Horse!
Thanks for all these awesome tips. My daughter and I are knocking out all 5 NPs at the end of May and this is so hopeful in trying to plan hikes and stops. So glad I found this site!
Thanks Jenn! Have a great time!
Thanks so much for all this information!!
We are heading to all 5 NPs in April. Just planning Canyonlands at the moment and have all the 6 spots you listed for Island in the Sky. I was wondering if the drive to all 6 locations is safe to drive? I presume there won’t be paved roads which is fine but just a bit worried if any of the roads will be super close to a cliff edge!
Hi Amy,
The roads to the points of interest at the Island in the Sky district are paved :) You’ll have no problem safely navigating them if you’re just going to the places on the list. Have fun!
Ash
Thanks for all the info. We have been camping at the Needles campground for years. I’m itching to explore more areas, but am going this spring with some people who want the water/toilets/etc that Needles has to offer. I understand that it is a long drive from Island in the Sky to Needles. But, is there a way to do it without going back to Moab? Would you need four wheel drive?
Thanks,
Leigh
The river is in the middle of the two sections, so you do have to drive around through Moab to get in there as far as I know. Have fun — we love Needles!!
I plan to sleep in my car at camp site instead of sleeping in the tent. Is this allowed.?
It should be ok as long as you are in a designated camping spot. They don’t allow camping in any of the pullouts or trailheads. Have fun!
Thanks Ash. I like your stuff. Heading for Canyonlands and Capital Reef soon, my 3rd go-around. Love mountains, desert, rivers, but love canyons most of all. Hey, give Big Bend in Texas a try.
Awesome! Have fun! We did give Big Bend a try and loved it…..can’t wait to go back!
Thank you Ash! This is very informative and helpful as we plan to travel this week.
Happy to help Richard. Safe travels!
Can we drive from Moab straight through canyonlands to Monticello?
You’ll have to take a separate road through Canyonlands as you drive to Monticello. The park road doesn’t connect the two towns. Have a great time!
I drove the Shafer Trail last week! I too saw it from the overlook and I just had to see it in person. It was so much fun!
http://www.welovetoexplore.com/intrepid-potash-mine-shafer-canyon-road-moab-utah/
That’s awesome! Thanks for sharing!
Hi!
I love this post! I just wrote down all 10 locations and your pointers in my little Utah trip journal haha. Anyways, I’m planning to go to Canyonlands this august (18th-23rd) mostly for astro-photography, but also to hike. I have two questions!
1) I’ve heard Canyonlands is one of the best dark parks for star gazing at night, so I’m sure anywhere I go will be great, but do you have any recommendations for your personal favorite locations to star gaze?
2)Any camping location recommendations? I saw that in the comments you mentioned the Needles. Based on my previous question, I planned on camping near sites where I can shoot great photos at night, but any location recommendation would be great as well!
Thanks a bunch regardless, this was really well written!
Hi Deric! We actually met a professional astro-photographer on the trail to Druid Arch and he showed us some of his work. It was phenomenal! So based on that, I would recommend the Needles for sure. It’s an amazing section of the park and is far enough away from any towns and lights to make the stargazing incredible!
On the way to Island in the Sky we highly recommend Dead Horse State Park!! A local suggested this & we were sooooo glad!!
Definitely a great spot in the area…so glad you stopped to see it!
Hey! So I went to island in the sky & enjoyed everything you mentioned.
However, I think it would be extremely useful to mention that getting to the needles area of canyonlands is a 100 mile drive from island in the sky. I didn’t realize this until the ranger at island told me. Because of our travel plans, this made going to the needles impossible. Originally we thought one day at each of those two parks, but when we discovered it would be such a little my drive to the second park, we had to cancel that part due to money & time constraints. Just thought visitors to this page could use that information!
Thanks for the good blog,
-rachel
Hey there Rachel,
Thanks for the comment….the post actually does include that info on the first line of the second paragraph, but I’m sorry you missed it. I’ll try to make that information a little more obvious so that future readers don’t run into the same problem. Hopefully you still had a great time on your trip!
Ash
We are planing to visit the areas surrounding Grand Junction CO in July. We know it will be hot, we traveled the areas surrounding Flagstaff in July a few years back. We are both in our later 50’s, but, like EZ hikes of 0.1 – 4 miles round trip. I appreciate your details about the hikes! We were thinking Arches, Canyonlands, …. Any ideas would be helpful!
Hi Kim! Anything on my list of 10 things you can’t miss will fit that criteria, so that’s definitely where I would start. Just be sure to hit the trails early in the morning to avoid the heat! Have fun!
That road under the Shafer Overlook is called Shafer switchbacks. One of the locals told us about it and we started from just outside of Moab, climbing out at the overlook. It was awesome and even included the site where Thelma and Louis drove off the cliff! Four wheel drive is not really needed, but I would NOT do it if there has been any rain. There are some really steep sections. It will take a few hours too since it is pretty rugged. Well worth the trip!
Very cool that you actually drove it! I got knots in my stomach just looking at it!
I love your blog- so much specific information! We are staying in Green River SP for the Memorial Day weekend because it’s the only reservable campground that still had spaces when I looked in February. We were thinking of heading closer to Canyonlands for sunday night but have no reservations- how likely do you think it will be for us to find a BLM campground spot? Maybe Hamburger Rock will have a space? I’d hate to spend my sunday night wandering in the desert for a place to park.
Hi Michelle, thank you so much for your kind words. I honestly would really hesitate to try to get a first-come, first-served spot on the Sunday night of a holiday weekend. My guess is that most everything will get snatched up on Friday or Saturday and nobody will really check out again until Monday. Canyonlands Needles is an amazing place though and definitely worth a stop. The other option is to just plan on dispersed camping if you are unable to find anything in an established campground. There are lots of different places that you can stop and just camp for free! The established campgrounds in the area don’t have running water anyway, so you’re experience wouldn’t be that different if you decide to go the dispersed camping route :)
Go to freecampsites.net ! We found a great place overlooking the river to camp for free. No facilities of course, but who needs them?
The ranger also told us that any dirt road out there, you can drive a half a mile down it and it’s BLM – you can park for free up to 14 nights.
Heading to Utah in October to hit all 5 NP’s.
Your website is a great source of information!
Will be coming back to it often to plan hikes at each park.
Thank you very much Harold! It’s a pleasure to help out and I hope to hear from you regarding your upcoming trip!
We are headed to Moab in about a week and a half…for the first time…so if you have any other pointers, I would love to hear them! We are saving Canyon lands for another trip when we can put our focus there since it is so big!
You will have a great time! I am happy to give you more Moab information, and I am also getting ready to post on Arches so hopefully that helps :)