5 Fascinating Fun Facts about Canyonlands National Park

These five fun facts about Canyonlands National Park reveal just how wild, rugged, and awe-inspiring this place truly is. Known for its massive canyons, towering rock formations, and deep river gorges, this park is one of the most underrated in the National Park System.

While many visitors flock to nearby Arches, Canyonlands offers a more remote and adventurous experience, with breathtaking overlooks, fascinating geological history, and even real dinosaur swim tracks. Whether you’re hiking to Mesa Arch, driving the White Rim Road, or exploring Horseshoe Canyon, there’s no shortage of incredible discoveries in this high desert wonderland.

In this episode, we explore five surprising facts about Canyonlands, from its ancient landscapes to the unexpected history behind its roads.

Podcast Episode Overview

In this episode of Exploring the National Parks, we’re diving into some seriously cool facts about John’s favorite Utah park—Canyonlands!

This park often flies under the radar, but we’re here to convince you that it deserves just as much love as the other Utah parks—maybe even more! Sure, it’s right next to Arches, but Canyonlands has its own wild, rugged beauty that makes it absolutely unforgettable.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

A surprising fact about where this national park is located
What makes the landscape here so unique
The actual dinosaur swim tracks you can still see today
Some fascinating facts about the park’s current ecosystem
The unexpected group responsible for building much of the park’s infrastructure

If you haven’t been to Canyonlands yet, trust us—you will want to add it to your list! And if you are planning a visit, we’ve got you covered. Grab our brand-new Canyonlands Itinerary and make your trip unforgettable.

Your task for today: Open Google Maps or Apple Maps, switch to satellite view, and zoom in on Canyonlands National Park. Just wait until you see that insane landscape—you won’t be disappointed!

Listen to the Full Podcast Episode:

1. Canyonlands is located in the heart of the Colorado Plateau

Canyonlands National Park sits near the heart of the Colorado Plateau, one of the most geologically significant regions in North America. The plateau spans over 130,000 square miles across southeastern Utah, Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico, boasting one of the highest concentrations of protected public lands in the continental United States.

Unlike other landscapes that buckled under tectonic stress, the Colorado Plateau remained remarkably intact. While the Rocky Mountain range rose to the east and Nevada stretched to nearly twice its original width to the west (a fact we cover in our Great Basin fun facts episode!), this ancient landmass remained largely unchanged—until water started carving it away.

The towering canyon walls, deep canyons, and winding river valleys of the Canyonlands area are proof of just how powerful moving water can be. The Colorado and Green Rivers cut through this high desert landscape, creating a maze of canyons that make this park one of the most breathtaking places in Utah.

For those planning a visit, a great place to start is the Island in the Sky Visitor Center, where rangers can provide maps and up-to-date trail information. This high mesa offers some of the most spectacular views in the park, giving visitors a stunning perspective of the deep canyons below.

2. The landscape of Canyonlands is surprisingly young

The rock layers of Canyonlands are hundreds of millions of years old, but the canyons themselves are relatively young. The Green River and Colorado River, responsible for shaping much of this park, have only been actively carving these landscapes for the last few million years. Compared to the eons it took to build up these rock layers, that’s practically yesterday in geological terms!

Canyonlands is home to one of the most significant river confluences in the American Southwest, where the Green River and Colorado River meet. These mighty waterways have sculpted some of the most dramatic scenery in the region, creating vast networks of twisting canyons and mesas. Visitors to Island in the Sky can witness spectacular views from Grand View Point, where the vast canyon system unfolds beneath them. The erosion caused by these rivers continues to shape the landscape today, deepening the canyons and revealing rock formations that tell the story of Earth’s past.

One of the best ways to experience the canyon walls and rock formations up close is by hiking short trails in the park, like the Mesa Arch Trail. This easy but rewarding hike offers an incredible sunrise view, framing the vast landscape beyond through one of the park’s most famous natural features.

3. You can still see dinosaur swim tracks today

If you think of Canyonlands as nothing but a dry desert landscape, think again!

Millions of years ago, this land was covered by vast, shallow seas and swampy environments. As a result, the park contains some of the most significant rock art panels and best-preserved dinosaur swim tracks ever discovered. Yes, swim tracks! Unlike traditional fossilized footprints, these markings were left by ancient creatures paddling through prehistoric waters, leaving behind tail drags and foot impressions in the mud.

These swim tracks, along with numerous other dinosaur fossils, are mostly found in the Chinle and Morrison Formations. These two rock layers are separated by roughly 100 million years, meaning the types of dinosaurs found in each layer are completely different—showing just how much life evolved over time. Horseshoe Canyon has dinosaur tracks as well. This is another incredible site in Canyonlands, home to some of the most significant rock art panels, including the famous Great Gallery. Scientists continue to study these tracks, uncovering new insights into prehistoric life and how these creatures interacted with their environment.

Canyonlands isn’t just a place for geology lovers—it’s also one of the most important sites for studying ancestral Puebloans and early human history. The Great Gallery features some of the most significant rock art in North America, showcasing intricate, life-sized pictographs left behind thousands of years ago.

4. Canyonlands is home to incredible wildlife, including the Desert Bighorn Sheep

Despite its primitive desert atmosphere, Canyonlands is teeming with life. One of its most fascinating plant species, the desert paintbrush, is a semi-parasitic plant that taps into the roots of other plants to steal nutrients. Even more interesting? This beautiful wildflower has been used for both medicinal purposes and as a poison by Indigenous peoples.

The park is also home to some of nature’s most incredible survivors, like kangaroo rats, which never need to drink water, and fairy shrimp that mature in just seven days after a rainstorm. These tiny creatures appear in potholes filled with rainwater and live their entire life cycle before the water evaporates. We dive into the miracle of another fast-transforming animal in our Arches Fun Facts episode!

Perhaps the most inspiring wildlife story in Canyonlands is that of the desert bighorn sheep. Once nearly wiped out from the region due to overhunting and disease, the rugged terrain of Canyonlands provided a final refuge for these animals. Thanks to conservation efforts, the population has rebounded, and today, bighorn sheep from Canyonlands are being relocated to repopulate other parts of the Southwest. Desert cottontails and other small mammals also thrive in the high desert landscape, using rock crevices and brush to hide from predators.

5. The Atomic Energy Commission built many of the roads in Canyonlands

One of the most surprising facts about Canyonlands is how many of its roads were first built—not by park officials—but by the Atomic Energy Commission. In the 1950s, during the uranium boom, prospectors flooded the area in search of valuable minerals. The infrastructure they created to transport their findings later became some of the park’s most rugged and adventurous routes, like the White Rim Road and Schafer Trail. These routes wind through the park’s dramatic scenery, offering some of the best things for remote exploration.

Today, adventurous visitors with a four-wheel drive vehicle can explore these historic dirt roads, but be prepared—many areas have limited access, requiring careful planning and off-road experience. The rugged landscape has made Canyonlands the largest national park in Utah, spanning hundreds of square miles of untouched wilderness.

Why Canyonlands Deserves Your Time

Canyonlands is not just another stop on your Utah road trip—it’s a place that demands your attention. Its vastness, wildness, and sense of adventure set it apart from other national parks. Unlike Arches National Park, where you’ll find crowds and well-trodden short hikes, Canyonlands offers solitude and raw beauty. Here, you can truly feel like a tiny speck in an untamed wilderness.

From the Needles District and Maze District to the Island in the Sky District, each of Canyonlands’ distinct districts offers something unique. Whether you’re exploring archeological sites left behind by Ancestral Puebloans, standing at Grand View Point, or visiting the Great Gallery rock art panels in Horseshoe Canyon, you’ll find some of the best things the Southwest has to offer.

If you’re ready to explore Canyonlands, grab our detailed Canyonlands National Park itinerary to make the most of your trip. We’ve spent countless hours hiking, exploring, and uncovering the best spots so that you can experience the magic of this park without the guesswork. You can also check out our Exploring Canyonlands episode for free resources!

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