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Click to see larger image. This is only one of the great view points within Canyonlands National Park.

Canyonlands is basically a backcountry destination. Visitors come to the park for sightseeing, hiking, camping, mountain biking, four-wheeling, and river running. Each area offers it's own distinct scenery and adventure. The Island in the Sky has vast views from many overlooks, short hiking trails, and is the easiest to visit. The Needles offers more of a backcountry experience, requiring some hiking or four-wheel driving to see the area's attractions. The Maze is entirely backcountry, which requires a good deal of hiking and/or four-wheel driving over rough terrain to visit. Elephant Hill is located in this area. If you want a truly exciting 4 wheeling experience, go to Elephant Hill. Then buy yourself one of those t-shirts-- "I survived Elephant Hill". This ones not for the faint of heart, and NOT for your pretty sports utility vechicle!

Dead Horse Point Canyonlands. Click to see larger view. This one is AWESOME!!!!!

In order for larger plants to take root in desert soil, it must be made stable andcapable of sustaining nitrogen-loving plants. This takes a community of microscopic and macroscopic organisms. This community creates a black bumpy surface on the desert floor called "cryptobiotic soil." The top layer of this soil is moss that forms the black color. Once the soil is moistened by rain the moss immediately turns a beautiful green. It is vitally important for visitors to the park tostay on the trails to avoid trampling the delicate cryptobiotic soil. It takes years for the soil to recover from a single step, and without the soil, larger plants cannot move in and stablize the ecology of the area. No cryptobiotic soil, no plants; no plants, no animals; and so on.

Canyonlands has hundreds of Anasazi ruins and Petroglyph panels. While visiting these ruins, please use care, they are FRAGILE! The Anasazi Indians left this area in 1200 A.D. Let's insure that these ruins are left undisturbed for future generations. It is unlawful to remove antiquities from this area, and if you discover someone digging in a ruin, CALL THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES!! There are unscrupulous people out there who make a living at distroying our national heritage. Please help stop the "Mokee Poachers!"

Address

2282 S. West Resource Blvd.
Moab, UT 84532-8000

Telephone

(435)259-7164
This line offers 24-hour recorded information.

Operating Hours
Visitor centers are open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., withextended hours during spring and fall. Visitor centers are closed on some federal holidays.

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