All Park HoursCanyonlands National Park is generally open 24 hours a day, year-round. Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.
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Learn about what to expect and check out a schedule of stargazing events at Arches and Canyonlands national parks and Hovenweep and Natural Bridges national monuments. Even when formal programs are not offered, people are welcome to enjoy the parks after dark on their own.
Canyonlands National Park is normally open year-round, 24 hours a day. Each district has its own visitor center with operating hours that change with the seasons. Some facilities close in winter.
Canyonlands is one of many parks in southern Utah with the International Dark Sky Park designation. Visitors come from all over the world to attend night sky ranger programs and to experience the dark skies they never see at home.
Driving Canyonlands National Park in One DayThe Island in the Sky District offers the wonderful opportunities for sightseeing by car and is the most accessible. The 34-mile round-trip scenic drive features awe-inspiring overlooks, from a 1,000 feet above, of the valleys below and the other districts of the park.
Reservations. Timed entry reservations are not required to enter the park. You can make reservations for day-use, overnight, and river permits and for group campsites at The Needles.
Arches and Canyonlands National Parks are open year-round, 24-hours a day. The best times to visit weatherwise are April through May and September through October. For that reason, spring and fall also tend to be the busiest times to visit.
It's especially popular for astrophotography because, on many summer nights, the Milky Way can be seen in all its glory hovering above the arch. Set on the edge of a breathtaking canyon, this incredible overlook provides a panoramic view of the night sky, offering a spectacular stargazing experience.
Half a Day: In addition to enjoying the scenic drive, hikers can explore the Slickrock Trail or walk to the edge of Chesler Park for a closer look at The Needles. Visitors with four-wheel-drive vehicles might consider driving to the Colorado River Overlook. Spend some time at the visitor center learning about the area.
Both are great if you're really short on time but Arches is the clear winner on this one. Canyonlands is great to see in just a few hours but it's almost an hour from Moab, too, so taking that into account, Arches is better with limited time.
Over 330,000 acres are filled with arches, buttes, mesas, canyons, hiking trails, dirt roads, campgrounds, and overlooks. It would take days, weeks even, to fully explore all that Canyonlands has to offer. However, if you only have one day in Canyonlands, you have just enough time to visit the highlights.
Island in the Sky is the most visited and accessible district, offering expansive views from many overlooks along the paved scenic drive. You can park and view a variety of scenic wonders from the vista points without hiking. The most popular site in the park is Mesa Arch.
Night rides are offered during a two week period from waxing half moon to waning half moon, from April through September. Click here for moon phase calculation. The most popular and well-known roads and trails around Moab are deserted after dark year round.
Arches National Park and the surrounding Colorado Plateau offer some of the darkest night skies remaining in the United States. You can enjoy the park after dark by viewing spectacular night skies.
Despite its larger size, Canyonlands gets only a little over half as many visitors as Arches! If you are looking for solitude, Canyonlands is the way to go. Still don't expect to be alone if visiting the Island in the Sky, but the crowds will not be as bad as you can expect in Arches.